Journal of neuroscience research
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Traumatic brain injury (TBI) as a consequence of exposure to blast is increasingly prevalent in military populations, with the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms mostly unknown. In the present study, we utilized an air-driven shock tube to investigate the effects of blast exposure (120 kPa) on rat brains. Immediately following exposure to blast, neurological function was reduced. ⋯ These regions also displayed increased binding at 10 days postexposure; in addition to these regions there was increased binding in the contralateral ventral hippocampus and substantia nigra at this time point. By using antibodies against CD11b/c, microglia morphology characteristic of activated microglia was observed in the hippocampus and substantia nigra of animals exposed to blast. These results indicate that BBB breakdown, oxidative stress, and microglia activation likely play a role in the neuropathology associated with TBI as a result of blast exposure.
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Comparative Study
Induction of neuronal cell death by paraneoplastic Ma1 antigen.
Paraneoplastic Ma1 (PNMA1) is a member of a family of proteins involved in an autoimmune disorder called paraneoplastic neurological syndrome. Although it is widely expressed in brain, nothing is known about the function of PNMA1 in neurons. We find that PNMA1 expression is highest in the perinatal brain, a period during which developmentally regulated neuronal death occurs. ⋯ In addition to being necessary for apoptosis, the BH3-like domain is necessary for self-association of PNMA1. Apoptosis by PNMA1 expression is inhibited by overexpression of Bcl2, suggesting that PNMA1-induced neuronal death may depend on the binding of a proapoptotic member of the Bcl2 family to the BH3 domain. Taken together, our results suggest that PNMA1 is a proapoptotic protein in neurons, elevated expression of which may contribute to neurodegenerative disorders.