Experimental neurology
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Experimental neurology · Jun 2019
Detection of brain specific cardiolipins in plasma after experimental pediatric head injury.
Cardiolipin (CL) is a mitochondria-specific phospholipid that is central to maintenance and regulation of mitochondrial bioenergetic and metabolic functions. CL molecular species display great tissue variation with brain exhibiting a distinct, highly diverse CL population. We recently showed that the appearance of unique brain-type CLs in plasma could serve as a brain-specific marker of mitochondrial/tissue injury in patients after cardiac arrest. ⋯ Compositional and quantitative correlational analysis suggested a possible release of CL into the systemic circulation following TBI. The identification of brain-type CLs in systemic circulation may indicate underlying mitochondrial dysfunction/loss after TBI. They may have potential as pharmacodynamics response biomarkers for targeted therapies.
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Experimental neurology · May 2019
GATA-4 regulates neuronal apoptosis after intracerebral hemorrhage via the NF-κB/Bax/Caspase-3 pathway both in vivo and in vitro.
GATA-binding protein 4 (GATA-4)，a member of the GATA family of transcription factors, is expressed in the normal brain and participates in the neural inflammatory response and senescence. However, few studies have investigated whether GATA-4 is involved in the brain damage induced by intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). The aim of this study was to investigate in vivo and in vitro the role of GATA-4 in ICH-induced secondary brain injury (SBI) and its potential underlying mechanisms. ⋯ In conclusion, the expression of GATA-4 was increased in the brain of rats after ICH. GATA-4 phosphorylation mediates the function of the protein in ICH-induced SBI. Neuronal apoptosis after ICH was mainly induced by NF-κB activation, which was promoted by GATA-4.
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Experimental neurology · Apr 2019
EPPS treatment attenuates traumatic brain injury in mice by reducing Aβ burden and ameliorating neuronal autophagic flux.
Beta-amyloid (Aβ) burden and impaired neuronal autophagy contribute to secondary brain injury after traumatic brain injury (TBI). 4-(2-hydroxyethyl)-1-piperazinepropanesulphonic acid (EPPS) treatment has been reported to reduce Aβ aggregation and rescue behavioral deficits in Alzheimer's disease-like mice. Here, we investigated neuroprotective effects of EPPS in a mouse model of TBI. Mice subjected to controlled cortical impact (CCI) were treated with EPPS (120 mg/kg, orally) immediately after CCI and thereafter once daily for 3 or 7 days. ⋯ These data suggest that the neuroprotection by EPPS is, at least in part, related to improved autophagy flux. Finally, we found that EPPS treatment significantly improved the cortex-dependent motor and hippocampal-dependent cognitive deficits associated with TBI. Taken together, these findings support the further investigation of EPPS as a treatment for TBI.
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Experimental neurology · Apr 2019
Long non-coding RNA AK038897 aggravates cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury via acting as a ceRNA for miR-26a-5p to target DAPK1.
Emerging evidence has suggested a significant role of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in ischemic stroke by acting as competing endogenous RNAs (ceRNAs) for microRNAs (miRNAs) to regulate certain RNA transcripts. AK038897 is an lncRNA that was reported to be upregulated in rat brains in response to transient focal ischemia. We aimed to investigate the possible regulatory role of AK038897 in ischemic stroke. ⋯ Further, AK038897 knockdown protected against MCAO/R-induced brain injury and neurological deficits in vivo. In summary, we identified a AK038897/miR-26a-5p/DAPK1 signaling cascade as a key mechanism controlling cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury. Pharmaceutical intervention of this cascade may provide novel therapy for ischemic insults.
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Experimental neurology · Mar 2019
Chronic stress increases pain sensitivity via activation of the rACC-BLA pathway in rats.
Exposure to chronic stress can produce maladaptive neurobiological changes in pathways associated with pain processing, which may cause stress-induced hyperalgesia (SIH). However, the underlying mechanisms still remain largely unknown. In previous studies, we have reported that the amygdala is involved in chronic forced swim (FS) stress-induced depressive-like behaviors and the exacerbation of neuropathic pain in rats, of which, the basolateral amygdala (BLA) and the central nucleus of the amygdala (CeA) are shown to play important roles in the integration of affective and sensory information including nociception. ⋯ Moreover, we discovered that CFSS not only induced an increased activity of rACC neuronal population but also produced an augmented field potential power (FPP) of rACC local field potential (LFP), especially in low frequency theta band as well as in high frequency low gamma band ranges, both at the baseline state and under LIS and HNS conditions. In addition, by using a cross-correlation method and a partial directed coherence (PDC) algorithm to analyze the LFP oscillating activity in rACC and BLA, we demonstrated that CFSS could substantially promote the synchronization between rACC and BLA regions, and also enhanced the neural information flow from rACC to BLA. We conclude that exposure of chronic FS stress to rats could result in an increased activity of rACC neuronal population and promote the functional connectivity and the synchronization between rACC and BLA regions, and also enhance the pain-related neural information flow from rACC to BLA, which likely underlie the pathogenesis of SIH.