CD47 gene knockout protects against transient focal cerebral ischemia in mice

CD47 is a cell surface glycoprotein that helps mediate neutrophil transmigration across blood vessels. The present study was performed to determine whether absence of the CD47 gene decreases focal ischemic brain damage. Mice were subjected to 90 minutes middle cerebral artery occlusion. CD47 knockout mice were compared against matching wildtype mice. CD47 expression was checked by Western blotting. Infarct volume and ischemic brain swelling were quantified with cresyl violet–stained brain sections at 24 and 72 hours after ischemia. The tight junction protein claudin-5 was detected by imunohistochemistry. Two surrogate markers of neuroinflammation, brain levels of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) and infiltration of neutrophils, were assessed by immunohistochemistry. Western blots confirmed that CD47 was absent in knockout brains. Ischemia did not appear to upregulate total brain levels of CD47 in WT mice. In CD47 knockout mice, infarct volumes were reduced at 24 and 72 hours after ischemia, and hemispheric swelling was decreased at 72 hours. Loss of claudin-5 was observed in ischemic WT brain. This effect was ameliorated in CD47 knockout brains. Extravasation of neutrophils into the brain parenchyma was significantly reduced in CD47 knockout mice compared to wildtype mice. MMP-9 appeared to be upregulated in microvessels within ischemic brain. MMP-9 levels were markedly lower in CD47 knockout brains compared to wildtype brains. We conclude that CD47 is broadly involved in neuroinflammation, and this integrin-associated-protein plays a role in promoting MMP-9 upregulaton, neutrophil extravasation, brain swelling and progression of acute ischemic brain injury.