低氧预适应增加小鼠脑组织内nPKCε膜转位

目的:初步探讨新奇型蛋白激酶C(novel protein kinases C,nPKCs)在脑低氧预适应发生发展过程中的作用.方法:利用蛋白电泳(SDS-PAGE)和蛋白印迹(Western blot)等生化技术,并结合本室已建立的小鼠低氧预适应模型,观察低氧预适应对小鼠海马和大脑皮层组织内nPKCs(nPKCε、δ、η、μ和θ亚型)膜转位(激活)的影响.结果:随低氧次数(H0-H4)或低氧耐受时间的增加,小鼠海马(H0:41.6%±1.4%vs H1-H4:46.9%±4.5%,52.7±3.9%,58.8%±2.7%,61.3%±3.7%)和大脑皮层(H0:38.4%±4.5%vsH1-H4:42.4%±5.0%,48.7%±6.5%,55.3%±8.9%,61.2%±10.2%)组织内nPKCε膜转位明显增加,且海马和大脑皮层分别在H2、H3、H4和H3、H4具有统计学的显著意义(P＜0.01);而nPKCδ、η、μ和θ亚型在海马和大脑皮层组织内的膜转位变化均无统计学意义.结论:nPKCε可能在脑低氧预适应的发生发展过程中发挥着重要作用,但需进一步的研究证实.     

重复性低氧增高小鼠脑组织内CREB的磷酸化水平

目的：初步探讨cAMP反应元件结合蛋白（C砌强）在小鼠脑低氧预适应形成过程中的作用。方法：用我室已建立的小鼠整体低氧预适应模型,应用SDS．PAGE和Westernblot等技术,并结合Gel Doc凝胶成像系统,定量检测小鼠脑组织内CREB的磷酸化水平和蛋白表达量。结果：①随低氧暴露次数（H1．H4）的增加,小鼠海马组织内CREB的磷酸化水平（激活程度）明显增高（＊p＜0．05;n=7）;大脑皮层内CREB的磷酸化水平也随低氧暴露次数（H1．H4）的增加而明显增高,且在H1．H4组的变化具有显著的统计学意义（＊p＜O．05,n=7）。②随低氧暴露次数（H1．H4）的增加,CREB的蛋白表达量无论在小鼠海马还是皮层组织内均无明显改变。结论：CREB磷酸化水平的增高（激活）可能参与了脑低氧预适应的形成过程。     

重复性低氧对小鼠脑组织MMP-2及 MMP-9含量与活性的影响

目的：探讨重复性低氧对小鼠脑组织内MMP-2和MMP-9的蛋白表达量及活性的变化。方法：将BALA／C小鼠随机分成常氧对照组（I加）、急性低氧1、2、3、4次组（H1～H4）共5组。应用SDS-PAGE、Western—blot等生化技术,并结合Gel Doc凝胶成像系统,半定量检测5组小鼠大脑皮层和海马组织内MMP-2及MMP-9的蛋白表达量及其活性的变化。结果：①随着低氧次数的增加,小鼠海马组织内MMP-2的蛋白表达量呈现先增后降的趋势,其中H4组MMP-2蛋白表达量的降低显著（P〈0．05,n=6）,而小鼠大脑皮层组织内MMP-2的蛋白表达量变化不明显。此外,在海马和大脑皮层组织内均未检测到MMP-2的活性组分;②海马组织内MMP-9的蛋白表达量随重复性低氧次数的增加,其含量也呈现先增后降的趋势,且H1组MMP-9表达量的增高和H4组MMP-9表达量的降低均具有显著意义（P〈0．05）。同样,海马组织内MMP-9活性组分的变化与其蛋白表达量变化趋势一致,与H0组相比．H1组MMP-9活性组分增高和H4组的降低均显著（P〈0．05）。大脑皮层组织内MMP-9表达量及其活性组分在脑低氧预处理过程中均无显著性变化。结论：MMP-2和MMP-9可能在脑低氧预处理过程中具有一定的作用．且提示其蛋白表达量及活性在大脑皮层和海马组织内的差异变化可能与大脑皮层和海马组织对低氧的选择易损性不同有关。     

低氧预适应对小鼠海马组织HIF-1与EPO低氧应答元件结合活性的影响

目的：观察低氧预适应对小鼠海马组织HIF-1与EPO的低氧应答元件（HRE）结合活性的变化,探讨这种变化与低氧预适应形成的关系。方法：小鼠低氧0次（H0）,1次（H1）,4次（H4）后取海马组织,应用凝胶迁移改变试验（EMSA）,染色体免疫共沉淀（ChIP）试验和荧光定量PCR（real—time PCR）技术,检测小鼠海马组织内HIF-1与EPO的低氧应答元件结合能力的变化。结果：EMSA体外结合实验及ChIP体内结合实验发现。H0、H1和H4组结合活力依次增强。结论：HIF-1与EPO的低氧应答元件结合增强可能参与预适应的形成。     

PKCα抑制生肌素转位及nAChR基因表达

 烟碱样乙酰胆碱受体 (nAChR)的表达调控受神经电活动影响 ,电刺激引起肌细胞膜去极化可抑制nAChR的表达 .以往的研究表明 ,Ca2 +和PKC以及生肌素在其中发挥着重要的作用 .然而 ,目前尚不清楚究竟是哪种PKC亚型参与此过程 ,PKC激活对特异转录因子生肌素浆核转位有何影响 ?为探讨PKC在去极化 nAChR转录偶联中的作用 ,构建了含nAChRγ亚基启动子的绿色荧光蛋白 (GFP)表达载体pEGFP γ ,将其分别与 4种cPKC(PKCα、PKCβⅠ、PKCβⅡ、PKCγ)真核表达载体共转染C2C12肌细胞 .结果发现PKCβⅠ、PKCβⅡ对nAChRγ启动子驱动的GFP报告基因表达没有影响 (P >0 .0 5 ) ,PKCγ对报告基因表达有抑制作用 (P <0 .0 5 ) ,PKCα则有明显抑制作用 (P <0 .0 1) .采用 4种cPKC真核表达载体与GFP 生肌素融合蛋白表达载体 (pGFP myog)共转染C2C12肌细胞 ,观察了不同亚型PKC表达对生肌素浆至核转位的影响 ,发现只有强制性表达外源性PKCα可明显抑制生肌素向核中转位 ,而PKCβⅠ、PKCβⅡ及PKCγ对生肌素浆核转位没有明显抑制作用 .结果提示 ,PKCα通过抑制生肌素转位是阻遏nAChR基因表达机制之一 .     

KCα抑制生肌素转位及nAChR基因表达

烟碱样乙酰胆碱受体(nAChR)的表达调控受神经电活动影响,电刺激引起肌细胞膜去极化可抑制nAChR的表达.以往的研究表明,Ca2+和PKC以及生肌素在其中发挥着重要的作用.然而,目前尚不清楚究竟是哪种PKC亚型参与此过程,PKC激活对特异转录因子生肌素浆核转位有何影响?为探讨PKC在去极化-nAChR转录偶联中的作用,构建了含nAChRγ亚基启动子的绿色荧光蛋白(GFP)表达载体pEGFP-γ,将其分别与4种cPKC(PKCα、PKCβⅠ、PKCβⅡ、PKCγ)真核表达载体共转染C2C12肌细胞.结果发现PKCβⅠ、PKCβⅡ对nAChRγ启动子驱动的GFP报告基因表达没有影响(P＞0.05),PKCγ对报告基因表达有抑制作用(P＜0.05),PKCα则有明显抑制作用(P＜0.01).采用4种cPKC真核表达载体与GFP-生肌素融合蛋白表达载体(pGFP-myog)共转染C2C12肌细胞,观察了不同亚型PKC表达对生肌素浆至核转位的影响,发现只有强制性表达外源性PKCα可明显抑制生肌素向核中转位,而PKCβⅠ、PKCβⅡ及PKCγ对生肌素浆核转位没有明显抑制作用.结果提示,PKCα通过抑制生肌素转位是阻遏nAChR基因表达机制之一.     

脊髓蛋白激酶Cα和γ亚型在吗啡依赖和戒断反应中的不同作用

在大鼠吗啡依赖和戒断模型上,采用行为学、免疫组织化学和Western blot方法观察鞘内应用蛋白激酶C(protien kinase C,PKC)抑制剂chelerythrine chloride(CHE)对吗啡依赖大鼠纳洛酮催促成断反应、脊髓Fos蛋白表达和脊髓神经元胞膜和胞浆PKCα、γ表达的影响,以探讨不同亚型PKC在吗啡依赖和戒断反应中的作用。结果表明,鞘内注射CHE能明显减轻吗啡成断症状的评分和吗啡戒断引起的痛觉异常,抑制吗啡成断期间脊髓Fos蛋白表达的增加;吗啡依赖可引起脊髓神经元PKCα和γ表达的上调和转位：吗啡戒断期间存在明显的且可被鞘内注射CHE抑制的PKCα转位,但未观察到明显的PKCγ转位。上述结果表明,脊髓PKC表达上调和转何可能参与吗啡依赖的形成和戒断反应的表达,且PKCα和γ亚型在吗啡依赖和戒断反应中的作用存在差异。     

PKC亚型在细胞周期调控中的作用

蛋白激酶C(protein kinase C,PKC)是70年代末由Nishizuka等发现的,它是由相关蛋白构成的一个大家族。目前为止已经发现PKC家族的十三种亚型,各亚型均为单肽链,分子量约为67-83KD,按照它们激活时对Ca~(2+)、PKC的天然激活剂二脂酰甘油(DAG)的需要程度将其划分为三种类型,第一种为经典PKC(classical PKCs,cPKC),包含α、βI、βⅡ和γ四种亚型;第二种为新型PKC(novel PKCs,nPKC),包括δ、ε、η、θ和μ亚型;第三种为非典型PKC(atypical PKC,aPKC),包括λ、ξ和新发现的PKC3亚型。cPKC可以被Ca~(2+)、DAG和佛波酯激活;nPKC不含Ca~(2+)结合位点,不能被Ca~(2+)激活,但可被DAG和佛波酯激活;aPKC则不能被Ca~(2+)或者佛波酯激活(见表1)。     

CNTF对NMDA引起大鼠海马神经元蛋白激酶C核转位的影响

目的：探讨睫状神经营养因子(CNTF)对N-甲基-D-天冬氨酸(NMDA)引起大鼠海马神经元蛋白激酶C(PKC)发生核转位的影响。方法：以NMDA及CNTF处理原代培养的大鼠海马神经元,PKCγ、免疫细胞化学并结合图象分析方法测定PKC阳性神经元胞核的灰度。结果：①给予不同浓度NMDA处理不同时间后,神经元核内有不同程度的PKCγ及PKCε表达,其中以100μmol／L NMDA 30min组表现尤为显著;②CNTF 500μmol／L NMDA组神经元胞核PKC灰度与对照组相似。结论：NMDA可引起海马神经元PKCγ、PKCε的核转位,而CNTF则抑制其转位的发生,提示CNTF对海马神经元的保护作用与抑制PKC的核转位右关。     

蛋白激酶C在小鼠卵母细胞体外成熟和受精中的作用

蛋白激酶是一类重要的丝／苏氨酸蛋白激酶。本实验以小鼠为实验动物,研究了PKC在卵母细胞体外成熟、活化和受精中的可能作用,及两种PKC亚型在卵母细胞中的定位。PKC激活剂PMA可以阻止GV期卵母细胞在体外恢复减数分裂,该作用可被PKC抑制剂CalphostinC抵消,但不能被PLCγ抑制剂U73122或PKCδ专一性抑制剂Rottlerin所克服。Western印迹显示PKCα和βI在卵母细胞发育过程中恒量表达。激光共聚焦显微术研究发现,受精或受到活化刺激后PKCα转位到卵母细胞膜上,同时皮质颗粒排放,说明PKCα可能参与调节卵皮质反应。本实验首次在小鼠中研究了PLCγ与受精的关系,发现不存在PKC对PLCγ的正反馈调节。此外,本研究还对小鼠卵巢中对PKCα和βI进行了蛋白定位研究。     

低氧预适应小鼠皮层Bcl-2和Caspase-3的表达变化

本文旨在探讨小鼠皮层Bcl-2和Caspase-3在低氧预适应脑保护中的作用.将Bib/c近交系小鼠随机分为对照组、低氧组和低氧预适应组,用免疫荧光和激光共聚焦显微镜等技术测定皮层顶叶Bcl-2和Caspase-3表达荧光强度和阳性细胞计数.结果显示,低氧组和低氧预适应组Bcl-2表达均显著高于对照组,低氧预适应组又显著高于低氧组.低氧组和低氧预适应组Caspase-3表达均显著高于对照组,但低氧预适应组显著低于低氧组.结果表明,低氧预适应过程中,小鼠皮层脑区通过Bcl-2高表达和Caspase-3低表达抵御皮层细胞凋亡,从而参与脑保护机制.     

Leukocyte-type 12-lipoxygenase-deficient mice show impaired ischemic preconditioning-induced cardioprotection

To investigate the role of 12-lipoxygenase in preconditioning, we examined whether hearts lacking the "leukocyte-type" 12-lipoxygenase (12-LOKO) would be protected by preconditioning. In hearts from wild-type (WT) and 12-LOKO mice, left ventricular developed pressure (LVDP) and (31)P NMR were monitored during treatment (+/-preconditioning) and during global ischemia and reperfusion. Postischemic function (rate-pressure product, percentage of initial value) measured after 20 min of ischemia and 40 min of reperfusion was significantly improved by preconditioning in WT hearts (78 +/- 12% in preconditioned vs. 44 +/- 7% in nonpreconditioned hearts) but not in 12-LOKO hearts (47 +/- 7% in preconditioned vs. 33 +/- 10% in nonpreconditioned hearts). Postischemic recovery of phosphocreatine was significantly better in WT preconditioned hearts than in 12-LOKO preconditioned hearts. Preconditioning significantly reduced the fall in intracellular pH during sustained ischemia in both WT and 12-LOKO hearts, suggesting that attenuation of the fall in pH during ischemia can be dissociated from preconditioning-induced protection. Necrosis was assessed after 25 min of ischemia and 2 h of reperfusion using 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride. In WT hearts, preconditioning significantly reduced the area of necrosis (26 +/- 4%) compared with nonpreconditioned hearts (62 +/- 10%) but not in 12-LOKO hearts (85 +/- 3% in preconditioned vs. 63 +/- 11% in nonpreconditioned hearts). Preconditioning resulted in a significant increase in 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid in WT but not in 12-LOKO hearts. These data demonstrate that 12-lipoxygenase is important in preconditioning.     

Quantification of Neurovascular Protection Following Repetitive Hypoxic Preconditioning and Transient Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion in Mice

Experimental animal models of stroke are invaluable tools for understanding stroke pathology and developing more effective treatment strategies. A 2 week protocol for repetitive hypoxic preconditioning (RHP) induces long-term protection against central nervous system (CNS) injury in a mouse model of focal ischemic stroke. RHP consists of 9 stochastic exposures to hypoxia that vary in both duration (2 or 4 hr) and intensity (8% and 11% O₂). RHP reduces infarct volumes, blood-brain barrier (BBB) disruption, and the post-stroke inflammatory response for weeks following the last exposure to hypoxia, suggesting a long-term induction of an endogenous CNS-protective phenotype. The methodology for the dual quantification of infarct volume and BBB disruption is effective in assessing neurovascular protection in mice with RHP or other putative neuroprotectants. Adult male Swiss Webster mice were preconditioned by RHP or duration-equivalent exposures to 21% O₂ (i.e. room air). A 60 min transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAo) was induced 2 weeks following the last hypoxic exposure. Both the occlusion and reperfusion were confirmed by transcranial laser Doppler flowmetry. Twenty-two hr after reperfusion, Evans Blue (EB) was intravenously administered through a tail vein injection. 2 hr later, animals were sacrificed by isoflurane overdose and brain sections were stained with 2,3,5- triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC). Infarcts volumes were then quantified. Next, EB was extracted from the tissue over 48 hr to determine BBB disruption after tMCAo. In summary, RHP is a simple protocol that can be replicated, with minimal cost, to induce long-term endogenous neurovascular protection from stroke injury in mice, with the translational potential for other CNS-based and systemic pro-inflammatory disease states.     

Hypoxic preconditioning improves spatial cognitive ability in mice

Although it has been reported in a lot of studies that hypoxic preconditioning could protect the brain from hypoxic/ischemic injury, it is not clear whether hypoxic preconditioning could affect brain functions such as cognitive ability. This work aims at investigating the effect of hypoxic preconditioning on spatial cognitive ability in mice after acute and repeated hypoxic exposures. The mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: a control group in which mice were not exposed to hypoxia (H0) and experimental groups in which mice encountered hypoxia either once (H1) or 4 times (H4). Neural cell adhesion molecule (NCAM) expression, long-term potentiation (LTP) recording and Morris water maze test were used to measure the animals' cognitive ability. The tolerance time was progressively prolonged as exposure went on. The expression of both NCAM mRNA and NCAM protein as well as the LTP induction rate decreased in group H1, but recovered to control level in group H4. The performance of mice in the maze test was improved in H4 in comparison with that in both H1 and H0. These findings may indicate that spatial cognitive ability is improved in adult mice by their hypoxic preconditioning.     

Cell type-specific activation of p38 MAPK in the brain regions of hypoxic preconditioned mice

Activation of p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK) has been implicated as a mechanism of ischemia/hypoxia-induced cerebral injury. The current study was designed to explore the involvement of p38 MAPK in the development of cerebral hypoxic preconditioning (HPC) by observing the changes in dual phosphorylation (p-p38 MAPK) at threonine180 and tyrosine182 sites, protein expression, and cellular distribution of p-p38 MAPK in the brain of HPC mice. We found that the p-p38 MAPK levels, not protein expression, increased significantly (p < 0.05) in the regions of frontal cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus of mice in response to repetitive hypoxic exposure (H1–H6, n = 6 for each group) when compared to values of the control normoxic group (H0, n = 6) using Western blot analysis. Similar results were also confirmed by an immunostaining study of the p-p38 MAPK location in the frontal cortex, hippocampus, and hypothalamus of mice from HPC groups. To further define the cell type of p-p38 MAPK positive cells, we used a double-labeled immunofluorescent staining method to co-localize p-p38 MAPK with neurofilaments heavy chain (NF-H, neuron-specific marker), S100 (astrocyte-specific marker), and CD11b (microglia-specific maker), respectively. We found that the increased p-p38 MAPK occurred in microglia of cortex and hippocampus, as well as in neurons of hypothalamus of HPC mice. These results suggest that the cell type-specific activation of p38 MAPK in the specific brain regions might contribute to the development of cerebral HPC mechanism in mice.     

Spreading depression-induced preconditioning in the mouse cortex: differential changes in the protein expression of ionotropic nicotinic acetylcholine and glutamate receptors

Preconditioning of the cerebral cortex was induced in mice by repeated cortical spreading depression (CSD), and the major ionotropic glutamate (GluRs) and nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChRs) subunits were compared by quantitative immunoblotting between sham- and preconditioned cortex, 24 h after treatment. A 30% reduction in alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-iso- xazolepropionate (AMPA) GluR1 and 2 subunit immunoreactivities was observed in the preconditioned cortex (p < 0.03), but there was no significant change in the NMDA receptor subunits, NR1, NR2A and NR2B. A 12-15-fold increase in alpha7 nAChR subunit expression following in vivo CSD (p < 0.001) was by far the most remarkable change associated with preconditioning. In contrast, the alpha4 nAChR subunit was not altered. These data point to the alpha7 nAChR as a potential new target for neuroprotection because preconditioning increases consistently the tolerance of the brain to acute insults such as ischaemia. These data complement recent studies implicating alpha7 nAChR overexpression in the amelioration of chronic neuropathologies, notably Alzheimer's disease (AD).     

Preconditioning by 17beta-estradiol in isolated rat heart depends on PI3-K/PKB pathway, PKC, and ROS

To study the cell signaling events leading to 17beta-estradiol (E(2))-induced acute cardioprotection, we subjected isolated rat hearts to three 5-min cycles of 10 microM E(2) before 30 min of regional ischemia, followed by 2 h of reperfusion. Protection was judged by changes in infarct size in percentage of risk zone volume. To test the importance of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3-K), protein kinase C (PKC), or reactive oxygen species (ROS) in E(2)-induced protection, we combined wortmannin (1 microM), chelerythrine (2 microM), and 2-mercaptopropionylglycine (300 microM), respectively, with E(2) exposure. Changes in phosphorylation of protein kinase B (PKB) and selected PKC isoforms were tested by immunoblotting of total lysates and subcellular fractions, along with assessment of PKC translocation from soluble to membrane fraction of heart tissue homogenates. Intracellular ROS levels induced by E(2) preconditioning were investigated. E(2) preconditioning led to significant reduction in infarct size from 31.8 +/- 5.3 to 20.2 +/- 2.6% in male hearts and from 42.7 +/- 4.7 to 17.1 +/- 3.4% in female hearts (P < 0.05). Protection was abolished by wortmannin (30.0 +/- 3.2%), chelerythrine (45.1 +/- 4.4%), and 2-mercaptopropionylglycine (36.8 +/- 4.7%). E(2) preconditioning induced phosphorylation of PKB, PKCalpha, and PKCepsilon and membrane translocation of PKCepsilon and PKCdelta. Intracellular ROS levels were found elevated after transient treatment with hormone. Therefore, our data demonstrate the ability of E(2) to induce preconditioning-like cardioprotection via cell signaling events shared by classic ischemic preconditioning.