The inflammatory response in focal cerebral ischemia

Inflammation is the reaction of vascularized living tissue to local injury. Local injury is caused by invading microorganisms, radiation, chemical injuries or ischemia. The inflammatory response serves to destroy or contain the infectious or noxious agent and to trigger a series of complex events that repair or replace the damaged tissue. The inflammatory response of any disease, whether it be infectious or ischemic, is highly controlled and any exacerbation of the response can actually harm the organism. Uncontrolled inflammatory reactions can cause chronic disease or death, as illustrated by rheumatoid arthritis or life-threatening hypersensitivity reactions. Occlusion of an artery in the brain causes cerebral ischemic which provokes a well coordinated inflammatory response. The inflammatory response is hypothesized to limit or contain hypoxic damage to a small area. However, as in other inflammatory diseases, the inflammatory response to cerebral ischemia promotes secondary injury to surrounding viable cerebral tissue commonly referred to as the penumbra. This secondary injury or response occurs because of molecular adhesive events, platelet activation, fibrin deposition and cytokine production which occur early after ischemia and reperfusion [1>–5]. These keywords were added by machine and not by the authors. This process is experimental and the keywords may be updated as the learning algorithm improves.