Inter-Strain Differences in Responses to Subarachnoid Hemorrhage in Mice

Spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH) is a form of hemorrhagic stroke that accounts for approximately 7% of all strokes worldwide. Recently, researchers have gained insight into some possible genetic influences involved in the response to SAH. The goal of this study was to investigate the potential contribution of different mouse genetic backgrounds to brain injury after SAH. SAH was induced in 7 inbred strains of mice, and the degree of large artery vasospasm and brain injury was assessed. After 48 hours, SAH mice showed a significant reduction in middle cerebral artery diameter and increased neuronal injury in the cerebral cortex compared to sham controls. The degree of vasospasm and brain injury varied across strains. This data suggests that vasospasm and neuronal injury may not correlate, and that different genetic factors may influence each one. Future investigations may provide invaluable insight into the causes of these inter-strain differences and potential genetic contributors.MAS