Immunohistochemical detection of oxidative DNA damage induced by ischemia–reperfusion insults in gerbil hippocampus in vivo

There is much evidence to suggest that ischemic injury occurs during the reperfusion phase of ischemia–reperfusion insults, and that the injury may be due to reactive-oxygen-species (ROS)-mediated oxidative events, including lipid peroxidation and DNA damage. However, oxidative DNA damage has until now not been examined in situ. In the present study, we report for the first time observation of cell type- and region-specific oxidative DNA damages in 5 min transient ischemic model by immunohistochemical methods, using monoclonal antibody against 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG), an oxidative DNA product. The cell types containing 8-OHdG immunoreactivity were neurons, glia and endothelial cells in the hippocampus. The 8-OHdG immunoreactivity was present in the nucleus but not the cytoplasm of these cells. The level of 8-OHdG in CA1 increased significantly ( P