Neuroprotective effects of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein during mild hypothermia on traumatic brain injury

Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein（CIRP）, a key regulatory protein, could be facilitated by mild hypothermia in the brain, heart and liver. This study observed the effects of mild hypothermia at 31 ± 0.5℃ on traumatic brain injury in rats. Results demonstrated that mild hypothermia suppressed apoptosis in the cortex, hippocampus and hypothalamus, facilitated CIRP m RNA and protein expression in these regions, especially in the hypothalamus. The anti-apoptotic effect of mild hypothermia disappeared after CIRP silencing. There was no correlation between mitogen-activated extracellular signal-regulated kinase activation and CIRP silencing. CIRP silencing inhibited extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 activation. These indicate that CIRP inhibits apoptosis by affecting extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 activation, and exerts a neuroprotective effect during mild hypothermia for traumatic brain injury.

Downregulation of cold-inducible RNA-binding protein activates mitogen-activated protein kinases and impairs spermatoRenic function in mouse testes

Cold-inducible RNA-binding protein （CIRP） is an RNA-binding protein that is expressed in normal testes and downregulated after heat stress caused by cryptorchidism, varicocele or environmental temperatures. The purpose of this study was to investigate the functions of CIRP in the testes. We employed RNAi technique to knock down the expression of CIRP in the testes, and performed haematoxylin and eosin staining to evaluate morphological changes following knockdown. Germ cell apoptosis was examined by terminal deoxynucleotidal transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labelling （TUNEL） assay, and mitogen-activated protein kinase （MAPK） signalling pathways were investigated by Western blotting to determine the possible mechanism of apoptosis. We found that using siRNA is a feasible and reliable method for knocking down gene expression in the testes. Compared to controls, the mean seminiferous tubule diameter （MSTD） and the thickness of the germ cell layers decreased following siRNA treatment, whereas the percentage of apoptotic seminiferous tubules increased. The p44/p42, p38 and SAPK/JNK MAPK pathways were activated after downregulation of CIRP. In conclusion, we discovered that downregulation of CIRP resulted in increased germ cell apoptosis, possibly viathe activation of the p44/p42, p38 and SAPK/JNK MAPK pathways.

Artificial cold exposure induced stroke in renovascular hypertensive rats and its association with cold-inducible RNA binding protein mRNA expression in brain tissue and blood pressure

BACKGROUND： High incidence of stroke at interchange period of autumn and winter was demonstrated by epidemiological survey, and the specific causes should be further investigated. OBJECTIVE： To investigate the influence of artificial cold exposure on the incidence of stroke in renovascular hypertensive rats （RHR）, and analyze the association with blood pressure and cold-inducible RNA binding protein （CIRP） mRNA expression in brain tissue. DESIGN： A completely randomized grouping design, a randomized control animal trial. SETTINGS： Lab of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University; Department of Chemistry, Open laboratory of Chemical Biology, Institute of Molecular Technology for Drug Discovery and Synthesis, University of Hong Kong. MATERIALS： Male SD rats （n=460）, weighing 80 - 100 g were obtained from Guangdong Province Health Animal Unit. A modified RXZ-300A intelligent artificial climate cabinet （Ningbo Jiangnan Instrument Co. ,Ltd., China）. METHODS： The experiment were processed in the Lab of Neurology, the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University and the Open Laboratory of Chemical Biology, Institute of Molecular Technology for Drug Discovery and Synthesis, University of Hong Kong from October 2004 to November 2005. Rats （n = 400） were operated to establish 2-kidney 2-clip RHR model as described previously. The sham-operated rats （n =60） served as normotensive controls. Eight weeks later, 300 of RHR were randomly selected according to their systolic blood pressure （SBP） and divided into 3 sub-groups （n =100 per group）： mild hypertensive group （SBP of 160 - 200 mm Hg）, moderate hypertensive group （SBP of 200 - 220 mm Hg） and severe hypertensive group （SBP 〉 220 mm Hg）. Each group was further divided into two groups （n =50） under ACE and non-ACE. Normal sham-operated SD rats （n =60）, SBP 〈 140 mm Hg, were randomly divided into two groups： Sham-operated control group （n =30） under ACE and non-ACE. To establish the ACE and non-ACE treatment, rats were housed individually in artificial climate cabinet, and ACE was designed as three cycles of 12-hour light of 22℃ （7 ： 00 - 19 ： 00） and 12-hour dark of 4℃（19 ： 00 - 7 ： 00）. The non-ACE group was kept at 22℃ throughout the experiment. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES： Blood Pressure changes were measured and stroke symptom were observed; Expression of the CIRP were examined by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS： Finally 360 rats were involved in the analysis of results. ①Incidence of stroke： The incidence of stroke in 2k2c RHR was significantly higher after a three-day intermittent （12-hour） ACE （29.3%） as compared with that in non-ACE （17.3%） （P 〈 0.05）. Furthermore, the severe hypertensive 2k2c RHR （BP 〉 220 mm Hg） was found to have much higher incidence of stroke （66%, 33/50） than the mild （8%, 4/50） and moderate （18%） hypertensive 2k2c RHR. ②CIRP mRNA in brain tissue： ACE treatment stimulated the mRNA expression of CIRP in non-stroke 2k2c RHR but not in stroke 2k2c RHR （P 〈 0.05）. CONCLUSION： High blood pressure and low expression of CIRP are associated with ACE induced stroke.

Physiological and genome-wide gene expression analyses of cold-induced leaf rolling at the seedling stage in rice(Oryza sativa L.)

Leaf rolling and discoloration are two chilling-injury symptoms that are widely used as indicators for the evaluation of cold tolerance at the seedling stage in rice. However, the difference in cold-response mechanisms underlying these two traits remains unknown. In the present study, a cold-tolerant rice cultivar, Lijiangxintuanheigu, and a cold-sensitive cultivar, Sanhuangzhan-2, were subjected to low-temperature treatments and physiolog-ical and genome-wide gene expression analyses were conducted. Leaf rolling occurred at temperatures lower than 11℃, whereas discoloration appeared at moderately low temperatures such as 13℃. Chlorophyll contents in both cultivars were significantly decreased at 13℃, but not altered at 11℃. In contrast, the relative water content and relative electrolyte leakage of both cultivars decreased significantly at 11℃, but did not change at 13℃. Expression of genes associated with calcium signaling and abscisic acid (ABA) degradation was significantly altered at 11℃ in comparison with 25℃ and 13℃. Numerous genes in the DREB, MYB, bZIP, NAC, Zinc finger, bHLH, and WRKY gene families were differentially expressed. Many aquaporin genes and the key genes in trehalose and starch synthesis were down regulated at 11℃ in comparison with 25℃ and 13℃. These results suggest that the two chilling injury symptoms are temperature-specific and are controlled by different mechanisms. Cold-induced leaf rolling is associated with calcium and ABA signaling pathways and is regulated by multiple transcriptional regulators. The suppression of aquaporin genes and reduced accumulation of soluble sugars under cold stress results in a reduction in cellular water potential and consequently leaf rolling.

Dose-dependent neuroprotective effect of enoxaparin on cold-induced traumatic brain injury

Recent evidence exists that enoxaparin can reduce brain injury because of its anticoagulant activity. To investigate the potential therapeutic effect of enoxaparin on cold-induced traumatic brain injury, at 20 minutes after modeling, male BALB/c mouse models of cold-induced traumatic brain injury were intraperitoneally administered 3 and 10 mg/kg enoxaparin or isotonic saline solution. Twenty-four hours later, enoxaparin at 10 mg/kg greatly reduced infarct volume, decreased cell apoptosis in the cortex and obviously increased serum level of total antioxidant status. By contrast, administration of enoxaparin at 3 mg/kg did not lead to these changes. These findings suggest that enoxaparin exhibits neuroprotective effect on cold-induced traumatic brain injury in a dose-dependent manner.

Pang Anshi, a famous great master of school of cold-induced diseases

Pang Anshi (courtesy name:Pan Anchang,styled himself Qishui Taoist,1042-1099) was from Qizhou Prefecture (present Hubei Province).He was a famous scholar of the school of cold-induced diseases in the Northern Song Dynasty (960-1127).His works Supplement to the Herbals (Ben Cao Bu Yi),Pulse Study (Mai Fa),Zhu Dui Ji,etc.are all lost.His only remaining one is the General Treatise on Cold-induced Diseases (Shang Han Zong Bing Lun).

Whole-tissue 3D imaging reveals intra-adipose sympathetic plasticity regulated by NGF-TrkA signal in cold-induced beiging

Sympathetic arborizations act as the essential efferent signals in regulating the metabolism of peripheral organs including white adipose tissues （WAT）. However, whether these local neural structures would be of plastic nature, and how such plasticity might participate in specific metabolic events of WAT, remains largely uncharacterized. In this study, we exploit the new vol- ume fluorescence-imaging technique to observe the significant, and also reversible, plasticity of intra-adi- pose sympathetic arborizations in mouse inguinal WAT in response to cold challenge. We demonstrate that this sympathetic plasticity depends on the cold-elicited sig- nal of nerve growth factor （NGF） and TrkA receptor. Blockage of NGF or TrkA signaling suppresses intra- adipose sympathetic plasticity, and moreover, the cold- induced beiging process of WAT. Furthermore, we show that NGF expression in WAT depends on the cate- cholamine signal in cold challenge. We therefore reveal the key physiological relevance, together with the reg- ulatory mechanism, of intra-adipose sympathetic plas- ticity in the WAT metabolism.