Figure 2.

Expression of MMP-9 (A) and collagen IV (B) in the brain of stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats with cerebral infarction (immunofluorescence staining).

FITC-dextran was injected into rats via the left femoral vein before being sacrificed. The architecture of microvessels is displayed with FITC dextran (green), and with MMP-9 and collagen IV immunofluorescence labeling (red). MMP-9 expression was increased in microvessels and endothelial cells in the infarct border zone in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats, and collagen IV was discontinuous in basal lamina of microvessels, compared to the corresponding areas of WKY rats. Scale bars: 20 µm. MMP-9: Matrix metalloproteinase-9; SHR-SP: stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive; WKY: Wistar-Kyoto.