Diffusion tensor imaging of the hippocampus reflects the severity of hippocampal injury induced by global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury

At present,predicting the severity of brain injury caused by global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury(GCI/RI)is a clinical problem.After such an injury,clinical indicators that can directly reflect neurological dysfunction are lacking.The change in hippocampal microstructure is the key to memory formation and consolidation.Diffusion tensor imaging is a highly sensitive tool for visualizing injury to hippocampal microstructure.Although hippocampal microstructure,brain-derived neurotrophic factor(BDNF),and tropomyosin-related kinase B(Trk B)levels are closely related to nerve injury and the repair process after GCI/RI,whether these indicators can reflect the severity of such hippocampal injury remains unknown.To address this issue,we established rat models of GCI/RI using the four-vessel occlusion method.Diffusion tensor imaging parameters,BDNF,and Trk B levels were correlated with modified neurological severity scores.The results revealed that after GCI/RI,while neurological function was not related to BDNF and Trk B levels,it was related to hippocampal fractional anisotropy.These findings suggest that hippocampal fractional anisotropy can reflect the severity of hippocampal injury after global GCI/RI.The study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee of Capital Medical University,China(approval No.AEEI-2015-139)on November 9,2015.

Nerve growth factor downregulates c-jun mRNA and Caspase-3 in striate cortex of rats after transient global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion

BACKGROUND: Immediate early gene (IEG) c-jun is a sensitive marker for functional status of nerve cells. Caspase-3 is a cysteine protease, which is a critical regulator of apoptosis. The effect of exogenous nerve growth factor (NGF) on the expression of c-jun mRNA and Caspase-3 protein in striate cortex of rats with transient global cerebral ischemia/reperfusion (IR) is unclear. OBJECTIVE: To study the protective effect of exogenous NGF on the brain of rats with transient global cerebral IR and its effecting pathway by observing the expression of c-jun mRNA and Caspase-3 protein. DESIGN: Randomized controlled animal trial. SETTING: Department of Neural Anatomy, Institute of Brain, China Medical University.MATERIALS:Eighteen healthy male SD rats of clean grade, aged 1 to 3 months, with body mass of 250 to 300 g, were involved in this study. NGF was provided by Dalian Svate Pharmaceutical Co.,Ltd. c-jun in situ hybridization detection kit, Caspase-3 antibody and SABC kit were purchased from Boster Biotechnology Co.,Ltd.METHODS: This trial was carried out in the Department of Neural Anatomy, Institute of Brain, China Medical University during September 2003 to April 2005. ① Experimental animals were randomized into three groups with 6 in each: sham-operation group, IR group and NGF group.②After the rats were anesthetized, the bilateral common carotid arteries and right external carotid arteries of rats were bluntly dissected and bilateral common carotid arteries were clamped for 30 minutes with bulldog clamps. Reperfusion began after buldog clamps were removed. Normal saline of 1mL and NGF (1×106 U/L) of 1 mL was injected into the common carotid artery of rats via right external carotid arteries in the IR group and NGF group respectively. The injection was conducted within 30 minutes, and then the right external carotid arteries were ligated. In the sham-operation group, occlusion of bilateral common carotid arteries and administration of drugs were omitted.③All the rats were executed by decollation at 3 hours after modeling. The animals were fixed with phosphate buffer solution (PBS, 0.1 mol/L) containing 40 g/L polyformaldehyde, their brains were quickly removed. The coronal section tissue mass containing striate cortex about 3 mm before line between two ears was taken and made into successive frozen sections.④The expression of c-jun mRNA and Caspase-3 protein in striate cortex of global cerebral ischemia rats were detected with in situ hybridization, immunohistochemistry and microscope image analysis. ⑤t test was used for comparing the difference of the measurement data.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES:Comparison of the expression of IEG c-jun mRNA and Caspase-3 protein in striate cortex of brain of rats in each group.RESULTS:All the 18 SD rats were involved in the analysis of results. The c-jun mRNA and Caspase-3 protein positive reaction cells were found brown yellow in the striate cortex of rats, and most of them were in lamellas Ⅱ and Ⅲ, mainly presenting round or oval. The expression of c-jun mRNA and Caspase-3 protein in sham-operation group was weak or negative. The average gray value of c-jun mRNA and Caspase-3 protein in the IR group was significantly lower than that in the sham-operation group (49.52±4.13 vs. 95.48±5.28; 74.73±4.29 vs. 162.38±9.16,P < 0.01). The average gray value of c-jun mRNA and Caspase-3 protein in the NGF group was significantly higher than that in the IR group (63.96±4.25 vs.49.52±4.13; 83.98±4.13 vs. 74.73±4.29, P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: NGF can protect ischemic neurons by down-regulating the expression of c-jun mRNA and Caspase-3 protein in striate cortex of global cerebral ischemia rats.

Hypothermia selectively protects the anterior forebrain mesocircuit during global cerebral ischemia

Hypothermia is an important protective strategy against global cerebral ischemia following cardiac arrest.However,the mechanisms of hypothermia underlying the changes in different regions and connections of the brain have not been fully elucidated.This study aims to identify the metabolic nodes and connection integrity of specific brain regions in rats with global cerebral ischemia that are most affected by hypothermia treatment.18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography was used to quantitatively determine glucose metabolism in different brain regions in a rat model of global cerebral ischemia established at 31–33℃.Diffusion tensor imaging was also used to reconstruct and explore the brain connections involved.The results showed that,compared with the model rats established at 37–37.5℃,the rat models of global cerebral ischemia established at 31–33℃had smaller hypometabolic regions in the thalamus and primary sensory areas and sustained no obvious thalamic injury.Hypothermia selectively preserved the integrity of the anterior forebrain mesocircuit,exhibiting protective effects on the brain during the global cerebral ischemia.The study was approved by the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee at Capital Medical University(approval No.XW-AD318-97-019)on December 15,2019.

Blockade of HCN2 Channels Provides Neuroprotection Against Ischemic Injury via Accelerating Autophagic Degradation in Hippocampal Neurons

In the central nervous system,hyperpolarizationactivated cyclic nucleotide-gated(HCN)channels are essential to maintain normal neuronal function.Recent studies have shown that HCN channels may be involved in the pathological process of ischemic brain injury,but the mechanisms remain unclear.Autophagy is activated in cerebral ischemia,but its role in cell death/survival remains controversial.In this study,our results showed that the HCN channel blocker ZD7288 remarkably decreased the percentage of apoptotic neurons and corrected the excessive autophagy induced by oxygen-glucose deprivation followed by reperfusion(OGD/R)in hippocampal HT22 neurons.Furthermore,in the OGD/R group,p-mTOR,p-ULK1(Ser757),and p62 were significantly decreased,while p-ULK1(Ser317),atg5,and beclin1 were remarkably increased.ZD7288 did not change the expression of p-ULK1(Ser757),ULK1(Ser317),p62,Beclin1,and atg5,which are involved in regulating autophagosome formation.Besides,we found that OGD/R induced a significant increase in Cathepsin D expression,but not LAMP-1.Treatment with ZD7288 at 10μmol/L in the OGD/R group did not change the expression of cathepsin D and LAMP-1.However,chloroquine(CQ),which decreases autophagosome-lysosome fusion,eliminated the correction of excessive autophagy and neuroprotection by ZD7288.Besides,shRNA knockdown of HCN2 channels significantly reduced the accumulation of LC3-Ⅱand increased neuron survival in the OGD/R and transient global cerebral ischemia(TGCI)models,and CQ also eliminated the effects of HCN2-shRNA.Furthermore,we found that the percentage of LC3-positive puncta that co-localized with LAMP-1-positive lysosomes decreased in Con-shRNAtransfected HT22 neurons exposed to OGD/R or CQ.In HCN2-shRNA-transfected HT22 neurons,the percentage of LC3-positive puncta that co-localized with LAMP-1-positive lysosomes increased under OGD/R;however,the percentage was significantly decreased by the addition of CQ to HCN2-shRNA-transfected HT22 neurons.The present results demonstrated that blockade of HCN2 channels provides neuroprotection against OGD/R and TGCI by accelerating autophagic degradation attributable to the promotion of autophagosome and lysosome fusion.