Intranasal VEGF-A and VEGF-E in a modified Levine model of stroke

Abstract

VEGF (Vascular endothelial growth factor)-A has been shown to successfully enter the brain via the intranasal pathway and improve symptoms following focal ischemia in rats. However VEGF-A promotes inflammation and vascular permeability which are believed to contribute to the damage following stroke. VEGF-E has been shown to produce reduced inflammation and vascular permeability while still stimulating similar levels of angiogenesis. We aimed to compare intranasal VEGF-A and VEGF-E doses in a modified Levine model of stroke. VEGF was delivered on days 3, 4 & 5 following hypoxic ischemia. Infarct was measured on day 14 using cresyl violet stain. Behavioural assessments were performed before hypoxic ischemia and on day 1, 7 and 14. We found that VEGF-A and VEGF-E did not affect behavioural scores or infarct volume. However, VEGF-E (20µg) reduced weight loss at day 14 after stroke. These findings suggest that intranasal VEGF-A and VEGF–E are not effective in the modified Levine model used in this study.