Fig. 6.

TSAT reduction diminishes brain damage and improves neurological performance in experimental permanent stroke. (A) Representative U-PAGE/WB showing the ATf, mFe-Tf, and the diFe-Tf bands of rat Tf (green) and iron forms of human Tf (red) in serum of two rats treated with hATf (R1+hATf and R2+hATf). Samples were obtained from undisturbed animals (Pre), 60 min after ischemia onset and before reducing TSAT (AI), or right after the administration of hATf (AA). (B) Effect of i.v. hATf administration (200 mg/Kg) on the % TSAT (rat+human), calculated as explained in methods (n = 7–8 per group; t-test: ***p < 0.0001). (C) Representative TTC-stained brain slices of rats exposed to pMCAO (ligature) and treated with Veh or hATf 1 h later; slices were obtained 24 h later; scale bar, 1 cm. Effect of hATf-Low TSAT on (D) the infarct volume produced by pMCAO at 24 h (n = 8 per group; t-test: *p = 0.0181) and (E) the neurological score (n = 8 per group; t-test: *p = 0.0354). Significant positive correlations between TSAT measured after the administration of hATf and (F) the infarct size and (G) the neuroscore, both measured 24 h after pMCAO. (H) Effect of Low TSAT on body weight loss 24 h after pMCAO (n = 8 per group; t-test: *p = 0.0251).