Lactate uptake contributes to the NAD(P)H biphasic response and tissue oxygen response during synaptic stimulation in area CA1 of rat hippocampal slices

Synaptic train stimulation (10 Hz × 25 s) in hippocampal slices results in a biphasic response of NAD(P)H fluorescence indicating a transient oxidation followed by a prolonged reduction. The response is accompanied by a transient tissue PO₂ decrease indicating enhanced oxygen utilization. The activation of mitochondrial metabolism and/or glycolysis may contribute to the secondary NAD(P)H peak. We investigated whether extracellular lactate uptake via monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) contributes to the generation of the NAD(P)H response during neuronal activation. We measured the effect of lactate uptake inhibition [using the MCT inhibitor α-cyano-4-hydroxycinnamate (4-CIN)] on the NAD(P)H biphasic response, tissue PO₂ response, and field excitatory post-synaptic potential in hippocampal slices during synaptic stimulation in area CA1 (stratum radiatum). The application of 4-CIN (150–250 μmol/L) significantly decreased the reduction phase of the NAD(P)H response. When slices were supplemented with 20 mmol/L lactate in 150–250 μmol/L 4-CIN, the secondary NAD(P)H peak was restored; whereas 20 mmol/L pyruvate supplementation did not produce a recovery. Similarly, the tissue PO₂ response was decreased by MCT inhibition; 20 mmol/L lactate restored this response to control levels at all 4-CIN concentrations. These results indicate that lactate uptake via MCTs contributes significantly to energy metabolism in brain tissue and to the generation of the delayed NAD(P)H peak after synaptic stimulation.     

Taurine improves the recovery of neuronal function following cerebral hypoxia: an in vitro study

Rat hippocampal slices were used in the present study to assess the effect of a pretreatment with the amino acid taurine on their ability to recover synaptic function following a standardized hypoxic insult. After 10 min hypoxia, 47% of all control (untreated) slices exhibited recovery of synaptic function (orthodromically evoked CA1 population spike). Of slices pretreated with 0.5, 1.0 or 2.0 mM taurine, 63, 88 and 97% recovered from the same hypoxic insult. This dose-dependent protective effect was biphasic, as 5.0 mM taurine produced no protection. When hypoxia was extended to 15 min, only 20% of the untreated slices recovered, while 88% of slices treated with 1.0 mM taurine recovered their population spike. The same pretreatment attenuated the fall in the population spike amplitude upon Ca2+ depletion. We hypothesize that taurine plays an important role in an endogenous antihypoxic mechanism through the attenuation of Ca2+ movement across the neuronal membrane.     

Lactate and glucose as energy substrates during, and after, oxygen deprivation in rat hippocampal acute and cultured slices

The effects of raised brain lactate levels on neuronal survival following hypoxia or ischemia is still a source of controversy among basic and clinical scientists. We have sought to address this controversy by studying the effects of glucose and lactate on neuronal survival in acute and cultured hippocampal slices. Following a 1-h hypoxic episode, neuronal survival in cultured hippocampal slices was significantly higher if glucose was present in the medium compared with lactate. However, when the energy substrate during the hypoxic period was glucose and then switched to lactate during the normoxic recovery period, the level of cell damage in the CA1 region of organotypic cultures was significantly improved from 64.3 +/- 2.1 to 74.6 +/- 2.1% compared with cultures receiving glucose during and after hypoxia. Extracellular field potentials recorded from the CA1 region of acute slices were abolished during oxygen deprivation for 20 min, but recovered almost fully to baseline levels with either glucose (82.6 +/- 10.0%) or lactate present in the reperfusion medium (108.1 +/- 8.3%). These results suggest that lactate alone cannot support neuronal survival during oxygen deprivation, but a combination of glucose followed by lactate provides for better neuroprotection than either substrate alone.     

海马脑片缺氧损伤电位机制的研究

本实验在海马脑片采用微电极记录技术,观察了缺氧损伤电位（ＨＩＰ）的电生理特性,并研究了其产生机制。实验结果表明：①ＨＩＰ是突触在缺氧过程中功能暂时恢复的反应;②随着缺氧程度的加重,ＨＩＰ出现时间前移,持续时间缩短;③ＨＩＰ的出现表明突触功能的丧失发生在突触膜损伤之前,其消失代表突触传递不可逆性损伤的发生,即突触膜损伤的开始;④大剂量腺苷不能阻止ＨＩＰ的产生,表明ＨＩＰ的出现不是由于腺苷浓度的降低。     

Hypoxic Cell Death in Human NT2-N Neurons: Involvement of NMDA and Non-NMDA Glutamate Receptors

Abstract: Human NTera2 teratocarcinoma cells were differentiated into postmitotic NT2-N neurons and exposed to hypoxia for 6 h. The cultures were evaluated microscopically, and percent lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release after 24 and 48 h was used as an assay for cell death. After 48 h LDH release was 24.3 ± 5.6% versus 13.8 ± 3.7% in controls ( p < 0.001). Cell death was greatly diminished by MK-801 pretreatment (15.4 ± 5.1%, p < 0.001). If glutamate was omitted from the medium, glutamate levels after 6 h of hypoxia were reduced from 101 ± 63 to 2.3 ± 0.3 µ M , and cell death at 48 h was also markedly reduced (15.4 ± 4.5%, p < 0.001). The α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionate antagonist 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione (18.7 ± 5.1%, p < 0.001) and mild hypothermia (33.5–34°C) during hypoxia (19.5 ± 2.75, p < 0.05) were moderately protective. Basic fibroblast growth factor (24.1 ± 3.2%), the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N ^G-nitro- l -arginine methyl ester (22.8 ± 8.1%), the antioxidant N-tert -butyl- o -phenylnitrone (18.9 ± 5.9%), and the 21-aminosteroid U74389G (24.0 ± 3.4%) did not protect the cells. N -Acetyl- l -cysteine even tended to increase cell death (30.1 ± 2.5%, p = 0.06). Treatment with MK-801 at the end of hypoxia did not reduce cell death (23.3 ± 2.3%). In separate experiments, a 15-min exposure to 1 m M glutamate without hypoxia did not result in significant cell death (14.7 ± 2.4 vs. 12.2 ± 2.1%, p = 0.07). We conclude that, although somewhat resistant to glutamate toxicity when normoxic, NT2-N neurons die via an ionotropic glutamate receptor-mediated mechanism when exposed to hypoxia in the presence of glutamate. As far as we know, this is the first reported analysis of the mechanism of hypoxic cell death in cultured human neuronlike cells.     

Metabolic and Biosynthetic Alterations in Cultured Astrocytes Exposed to Hypoxia/Reoxygenation

To investigate the astrocyte response to hypoxia/reoxygenation, as a model relevant to the pathogenesis of ischemic injury, cultured rat astrocytes were exposed to hypoxia. On restoration of astrocytes to normoxia, there was a dramatic increase in protein synthesis within 3 h, and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of metabolically labeled astrocyte lysates showed multiple induced bands on fluorograms. Levels of cellular ATP declined during the first 3 h of reoxygenation and the concentration of AMP increased to ± 3.6 nmol/mg of protein within 1 h of reoxygenation. Reoxygenated astrocytes generated oxygen free radicals early after replacement into ambient air, and addition of diphenyliodonium, an NADPH oxidase inhibitor, diminished the generation of free radicals as well as the induction of several bands on fluorogram. Although addition of cycloheximide on reoxygenation resulted in inhibition of both astrocyte protein synthesis and accumulation of cellular AMP, it caused cell death within 6 h, suggesting the importance of protein synthesis in adaptation of hypoxic astrocytes to reoxygenation. Potential physiologic significance of biosynthetic products of astrocytes in hypoxia/reoxygenation was suggested by the recovery of glutamate uptake. These results indicate that the astrocyte response to hypoxia/reoxygenation includes generation of oxygen free radicals and de novo synthesis of products that influence cell viability and function in ischemia.     

Glucose Deprivation Results in a Lactate Preventable Increase in Adenosine and Depression of Synaptic Transmission in Rat Hippocampal Slices

Abstract: The effect of glucose deprivation on adenosine levels and on synaptic transmission was investigated in rat hippocampal slices. Incubation of hippocampal slices either in glucose-free medium or in the presence of the glucose transport inhibitor cytochalasin B (50 μ M ) increased bath adenosine levels and depressed the extracellularly recorded synaptic potential or population spike. The addition of lactate (10 m M ), a precursor for mitochondrial ATP generation, prevented the elevation in adenosine and the depression of the population spike. These results indicate that the neuroinhibitory modulator adenosine is elevated during glucose deprivation and contributes to the hypoglycemic depression of synaptic transmission. The increase in adenosine during glucose deprivation can be prevented by providing substrate for mitochondrial ATP generation. The present results indicate an interaction between lactate and adenosine such that an increase in lactate may contribute to a decline in adenosine production.     

Neuroprotection by the N-Methyl-d-Aspartate Receptor Antagonist CGP 40116: In Vivo and In Vitro Studies

Abstract: The goal of this study was to evaluate the effects of a novel competitive N -methyl- d -aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist, d -( E )-2-amino-4-methyl-5-phosphono-3-pentoic acid (CGP 40116), on neuronal damage in vivo and in vitro. We studied 20 rabbits that underwent a 2-h occlusion of the left internal carotid, anterior cerebral, and middle cerebral arteries followed by 4 h of reperfusion. Ten minutes after occlusion the animals were treated with either normal saline (n = 7) or CGP 40116 at two different doses (20 mg/kg, n = 6; 40 mg/kg, n = 7) administered over a 5-min period. Somatosensory evoked potentials were used to confirm adequate ischemia and neuronal injury was assessed by histopathology and magnetic resonance imaging. CGP 40116 decreased cortical ischemic neuronal damage by 74 and 77% (control, 37.8%± 13.1%; CGP 20 mg/kg, 9.9 ± 3.6%; CGP 40 mg/kg, 8.7 ± 3.7%; p < 0.01) and reduced cortical ischemic edema by 52 and 35% (control, 42.3 ± 10.4%; CGP 20 mg/kg, 20.1 ± 6.7%; CGP 40 mg/kg, 27.5 ± 13.3%; p < 0.05) but did not protect against striatal injury. We performed a second study using primary cell cultures from mouse neocortex to determine the effects of CGP 40116 on neuronal death induced by a 10-min exposure to 500 µ M NMDA or by 45 min of oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD). Our results demonstrate that CGP 40116 was effective at attenuating neuronal death in a concentration-dependent manner (ED₅₀ of 3.2 µ M against NMDA toxicity and 23.1 µ M against OGD) as measured by lactate dehydrogenase levels 24 h after the insult. The neuroprotective effects of CGP 40116 in vivo and in vitro suggest it may be of potential clinical therapeutic value.     

Effects of methyl palmoxirate on hypoxic rat atria.

Isolated rat atria in hypoxia released lactate into the bathing medium and underwent a decline of the contraction frequency which, in some cases led to a complete cessation of the pacemaker activity. A pronounced fall in the peak developed tension and a rise in the resting tension also appeared. The atria from 24 h fasted rats, which oxidize faster their reserve lipids than those from fed rats, exhibited greater functional disturbances during hypoxia, a lower lactate output and a smaller recovery of peak tension upon reoxygenation. Methyl palmoxirate, which is a selective inhibitor of carnitine palmitoyltransferase I, attenuated the decline of the beating rate and the rise of the resting tension in both groups of rats and the incidence of atrial arrest in the fasted rat group. The fall in the peak tension, lactate output and recovery upon reoxygenation were not altered by the inhibitor. These data indicate that methyl palmoxirate alleviates some of the hypoxic functional derangements. Hence, it may be inferred that inhibiting the oxidation of the fatty acid derived from the endogenous triacylglycerol is beneficial during oxygen-limited conditions and that these effects could not be ascribed to changes in the glycolytic flux.     

Importance of fatty acid oxidation in the neonatal pig heart with hypoxia and reoxygenation

We investigated mechanical and metabolic responses in isolated, isovolumically-beating, pig hearts (n = 7), 12 h to 2 days of age; subjected to hypoxia followed by reoxygenation. Hearts were perfused with an erythrocyte-enriched (hematocrit approximately 15%) solution during 3 consecutive 30-min periods: pre-hypoxia, arterial perfusate [O2] = 7.6 +/- 0.2 vol% (PO2 approximately 270 torr); hypoxia, [O2] = 0.6 +/- 0.1 vol% (approximately 10% hemoglobin saturation) and reoxygenation. Prehypoxia parameters averaged: left ventricular peak systolic pressure, 107.1 +/- 2.9 mmHg and end-diastolic pressure, 0.9 +/- 0.3 mmHg; coronary flow, 2.8 +/- 0.2 ml/min per g; myocardial O2 consumption, 59.4 +/- 1.6 microliters/min per g and fatty acid oxidation, 37.1 +/ 1.1 nmol/min per g. Fatty acid oxidation was determined using [14C]palmitate. Early in hypoxia, coronary flow increased 3-4 fold but then decreased. Throughout hypoxia, hearts released lactate yet continued to oxidize fatty acids (45-50% of myocardial O2 consumption). By the end of the hypoxia period, hearts exhibited mechanical failure (peak systolic pressure approximately 55 mmHg and end-diastolic pressure approximately 19 mmHg). After 30 min of reoxygenation, peak systolic pressure recovered to 80.6 +/- 2.6 mmHg and end-diastolic pressure remained elevated at 6.1 +/- 1.9 mmHg. However, fatty acid oxidation rates were 90-95% above pre-hypoxia values. Thus, during 30 min of severe hypoxia neonatal pig hearts exhibited mechanical dysfunction, yet continued to oxidize exogenously supplied fatty acids. Moreover, fatty acid oxidation was enhanced during reoxygenation.     

ERK1/2 regulates intracellular ATP levels through alpha-enolase expression in cardiomyocytes exposed to ischemic hypoxia and reoxygenation

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2 (ERK1/2) is known to function in cell survival in response to various stresses; however, the mechanism of cell survival by ERK1/2 remains poorly elucidated in ischemic heart. Here we applied functional proteomics by two-dimensional electrophoresis to identify a cellular target of ERK1/2 in response to ischemic hypoxia. Approximately 1500 spots were detected by Coomassie Brilliant Blue staining of a sample from unstimulated cells. The staining intensities of at least 50 spots increased at 6-h reoxygenation after 2-h ischemic hypoxia. Of the 50 spots that increased, at least 4 spots were inhibited in the presence of PD98059, a MEK inhibitor. A protein with a molecular mass of 52 kDa that is strongly induced by ERK1/2 activation in response to ischemic hypoxia and reoxygenation was identified as alpha-enolase, a rate-limiting enzyme in the glycolytic pathway, by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry and amino acid sequencing. The expressions of the alpha-enolase mRNA and protein are inhibited during reoxygenation after ischemic hypoxia in the cells containing a dominant negative mutant of MEK1 and treated with a MEK inhibitor, PD98059, leading to a decrease in ATP levels. alpha-Enolase expression is also observed in rat heart subjected to ischemia-reperfusion. The induction of alpha-enolase by ERK1/2 appears to be mediated by c-Myc. The introduction of the alpha-enolase protein into the cells restores ATP levels and prevents cell death during ischemic hypoxia and reoxygenation in these cells. These results show that alpha-enolase expression by ERK1/2 participates in the production of ATP during reoxygenation after ischemic hypoxia, and a decrease in ATP induces apoptotic cell death. Furthermore, alpha-enolase improves the contractility of cardiomyocytes impaired by ischemic hypoxia. Our results reveal that ERK1/2 plays a role in the contractility of cardiomyocytes and cell survival through alpha-enolase expression during ischemic hypoxia and reoxygenation.     

Hyperbaric and normobaric reoxygenation of hypoxic rat brain slices--impact on purine nucleotides and cell viability

Hyperbaric oxygen treatment has been suggested as able to reduce hypoxia induced neuronal damage. The aim of the study was to compare the impact of different reoxygenation strategies on early metabolical (purine nucleotide content determined by HPLC) and morphological changes (index of cell injury after celestine blue/acid fuchsin staining) of hypoxically damaged rat neocortical brain slices. For this purpose slices (300 μm and 900 μm) were subjected to either 5 or 30 min of hypoxia by gassing the incubation medium with nitrogen. During the following reoxygenation period treatment groups were administered either 100% oxygen (O) or room air (A) at normobaric (1 atm absolute, NB-O; NB-A) or hyperbaric (2.5 atm absolute, HB-O; HB-A) conditions. After 5 min of hypoxia, both HB-O and NB-O led to a complete nucleotide status restoration (ATP/ADP; GTP/GDP) in 300 μm slices. However, reoxygenation after 30 min of hypoxia was less effective, irrespective of the oxygen pressure. Furthermore, administering hyperbaric room air resulted in no significant posthypoxic nucleotide recovery. In 900 μm slices, both control incubation as well as 30 min of hypoxia resulted in significantly lower trinucleotide and higher dinucleotide levels compared to 300 μm slices. While there was no significant difference between HB-O and NB-O on the nucleotide status, morphological evaluation revealed a better recovery of the index of cell injury (profoundly injured/intact cell-ratio) in the HB-O group. Conclusively, the posthypoxic recovery of metabolical characteristics was dependent on the duration of hypoxia and slice thickness, but not on the reoxygenation pressure. A clear restorative effect on purine nucleotides was found only in early-administered HB-O as well as NB-O in contrast to room air treated slices. However, these pressure independent metabolic changes were morphologically accompanied by a significantly improved index of cell injury, indicating a possible neuroprotective role of HB-O in early posthypoxic reoxygenation.     

Regional Metabolism of Met-Enkephalin and Cholecystokinin on Intact Rat Brain Slices: Characterization of Specific Peptidases

Abstract: The metabolism of Met-enkephalin and cholecystokinin (CCK) 8-(sulfated) by intact microslices was studied in rat brain regions. Incubation of brain slices with Met-enkephalin (400 µ M ) resulted in a linear rate of disappearance of parent peptide and appearance of metabolic fragments whose rate of accumulation was specific to brain region. The degradative rate (pmol/min/mg of protein) of Met-enkephalin was high in caudate-putamen (5,160 ± 120) and lower in nucleus accumbens (3,630 ± 110) and frontal cortex (3,180 ± 120). Inhibition of aminopeptidases decreased Met-enkephalin degradation (50–97% vs. control) in frontal cortex but was less effective in caudate-putamen (20–34%). Tyr-Gly-Gly and Phe-Met were recovered in caudate-putamen and nucleus accumbens, whereas negligible quantities of these fragments were recovered from frontal cortex. Phosphoramidon, an inhibitor of neutral endopeptidase 24.11, decreased Met-enkephalin degradation in caudate-putamen (14%) but had no effect on that in frontal cortex. A cocktail of bestatin or leuhistin (inhibitors of aminopeptidases), phosphoramidon, and captopril (an inhibitor of angiotensin converting enzyme) protected Met-enkephalin from degradation (recovery >95%) in caudate-putamen. CCK 8-(sulfated) degradation on slices from caudate-putamen, nucleus accumbens, and frontal cortex was not altered by inhibitors of neutral endopeptidase 24.11, metalloendopeptidase 24.15, angiotensin converting enzyme, or thiol proteases. Inhibitors of either aminopeptidases or serine proteases produced small reductions (13–30%) in CCK degradation in each region. These data provide evidence for regional and structural specificity in terminating the actions of neuropeptides.     

High-resolution real-time recording with microelectrode biosensors reveals novel aspects of adenosine release during hypoxia in rat hippocampal slices

We have used improved miniaturized adenosine biosensors to measure adenosine release during hypoxia from within the CA1 region of rat hippocampal slices. These microelectrode biosensors record from the extracellular space in the vicinity of active synapses as they detect the synaptic field potentials evoked in area CA1 by stimulation of the afferent Schaffer collateral-commissural fibre pathway. Our new measurements demonstrate the rapid production of adenosine during hypoxia that precedes and accompanies depression of excitatory transmission within area CA1. Simultaneous measurement of adenosine release and synaptic transmission gives an estimated IC50 for adenosine on transmission in the low micromolar range. However, on reoxygenation, synaptic transmission recovers in the face of elevated extracellular adenosine and despite a post-hypoxic surge of adenosine release. This may indicate the occurrence of apparent adenosine A1 receptor desensitization during metabolic stress. In addition, adenosine release is unaffected by pharmacological blockade of glutamate receptors and shows depletion on repeated exposure to hypoxia. Our results thus suggest that adenosine release is not a consequence of excitotoxic glutamate release. The potential for adenosine A1 receptor desensitization during metabolic stress implies that its prevention may be beneficial in extending adenosine-mediated neuroprotection in a variety of clinically relevant conditions.     

Oxygen and substrate deprivation on isolated rat cardiac myocytes: temporal relationship between electromechanical and biochemical consequences

The effects of hypoxia and reoxygenation on action potentials (AP), contractions, and certain biochemical parameters were studied in isolated rat ventricular myocytes in monolayer culture in the presence and absence of glucose. Substrate deprivation alone had no influence on the basal properties. In the presence of glucose, a 4-h hypoxic treatment caused only a moderate decrease in AP amplitude and rate. In substrate-free conditions, hypoxia induced a gradual decline in plateau potential level and in AP duration and rate, followed by rhythm abnormalities and a failure of the electromechanical coupling. Spontaneous AP generation then ceased, and the resting potential decreased with increased duration of hypoxia. These alterations were associated with a decrease in ATP content, an increase in the lactate production, and a leakage of about 50% of the total cellular lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). Cells reoxygenated after 150 min hypoxia recovered near-normal function, while the ATP depletion ceased and the rate of lactate and LDH loss was diminished. Conversely, cells reoxygenated after 4 h hypoxia exhibited a further decrease of the residual resting polarization and no change in the decline of intracellular ATP and in the efflux of cytosolic lactate and LDH. The results of this study indicate that (1) the sequence and the extent of functional alterations are dependent on the duration of hypoxia in the absence of exogenous substrate and (2) ATP depletion and the amount of lactate and LDH released during hypoxia are related to the shift from reversibly to irreversibly damaged cells.     

Exogenous GSH protection during hypoxia-reoxygenation of the isolated rat heart: Impact of hypoxia duration

The objective of this study was to determine the interaction between duration of myocardial hypoxia and presence of exogenous glutathione (GSH) on functional recovery upon subsequent reoxygenation. Isolated perfused rat hearts were subjected to 20, 30, 40, or 50 min hypoxia (HYP), which resulted in a progressive decline in the amount of contractile recovery (% of normoxic rate-pressure product (RPP) and developed pressure) during 30 min reoxygenation. Supplementation with 5 mM GSH throughout normoxia, hypoxia, and reoxygenation significantly improved contractile recovery during reoxygenation after 20 and 30 min hypoxia (p < 0.05), but had no effect after longer durations of hypoxia when contractile recovery was typically below 40% of RPP and significant areas of no-reflow were observed. ECG analysis revealed that GSH shifted the bell-shaped curve for reperfusion ventricular fibrillation to the right resulting in attenuated fibrillation after 20 and 30 min hypoxia then increased incidences after 40 min when Control hearts were slow to resume electrical activity. ECG conduction velocity was well preserved in all hearts after 20 and 30 min hypoxia, but GSH administration significantly attenuated the decline that occurred with longer durations. GSH supplementation did not attenuate the 35% decline in intracellular thiols during 30 min of hypoxia. When 5 mM GSH was added only during 40 min of hypoxia, RPP recovery after reoxygenation was improved compared to unsupplemented Controls (73% vs. 55% of pre-hypoxia value, p < 0.05). Administration of GSH only during reoxygenation following 40 min of hypoxia did not alter RPP recovery compared to Control hearts. We conclude that cardioprotection by exogenous GSH is dependent on the duration of hypoxia and the functional parameter being evaluated. It is not due to an enhancement of intracellular GSH suggesting that exogenous GSH acts extracellularly to protect sarcolemmal proteins against thiol oxidation during the phase of hypoxia when oxidative stress is a major contributor to cardiac dysfunction. Furthermore, if enough damage accrues during oxygen deprivation, supplementing with GSH during reoxygenation will not impact recovery.     

Exogenous GSH protection during hypoxia-reoxygenation of the isolated rat heart: impact of hypoxia duration

The objective of this study was to determine the interaction between duration of myocardial hypoxia and presence of exogenous glutathione (GSH) on functional recovery upon subsequent reoxygenation. Isolated perfused rat hearts were subjected to 20, 30, 40, or 50 min hypoxia (HYP), which resulted in a progressive decline in the amount of contractile recovery (% of normoxic rate-pressure product (RPP) and developed pressure) during 30 min reoxygenation. Supplementation with 5 mM GSH throughout normoxia, hypoxia, and reoxygenation significantly improved contractile recovery during reoxygenation after 20 and 30 min hypoxia (p < 0.05), but had no effect after longer durations of hypoxia when contractile recovery was typically below 40% of RPP and significant areas of no-reflow were observed. ECG analysis revealed that GSH shifted the bell-shaped curve for reperfusion ventricular fibrillation to the right resulting in attenuated fibrillation after 20 and 30 min hypoxia then increased incidences after 40 min when Control hearts were slow to resume electrical activity. ECG conduction velocity was well preserved in all hearts after 20 and 30 min hypoxia, but GSH administration significantly attenuated the decline that occurred with longer durations. GSH supplementation did not attenuate the 35% decline in intracellular thiols during 30 min of hypoxia. When 5 mM GSH was added only during 40 min of hypoxia, RPP recovery after reoxygenation was improved compared to unsupplemented Controls (73% vs. 55% of pre-hypoxia value, p < 0.05). Administration of GSH only during reoxygenation following 40 min of hypoxia did not alter RPP recovery compared to Control hearts. We conclude that cardioprotection by exogenous GSH is dependent on the duration of hypoxia and the functional parameter being evaluated. It is not due to an enhancement of intracellular GSH suggesting that exogenous GSH acts extracellularly to protect sarcolemmal proteins against thiol oxidation during the phase of hypoxia when oxidative stress is a major contributor to cardiac dysfunction. Furthermore, if enough damage accrues during oxygen deprivation, supplementing with GSH during reoxygenation will not impact recovery.     

Cytochrome c associated apoptosis during ATP recovery after hypoxia in neonatal rat cerebrocortical slices

Cellular injury was evaluated in superfused cerebrocortical slices (350 micro m) from 7-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats exposed to 30 min hypoxia followed by 4 h of reoxygenation. At the end of hypoxia homogenous cytosolic immunoreactivity of cytochrome c increased approximately fourfold, cytochrome c intensity in western blot analyses increased more than fivefold, and whole cell and cytosolic cleaved caspase-9 underwent 50% and 100% increases, respectively. Immunostaining of sections taken 1.5 h after hypoxia showed: (i) more than a threefold increase in cleaved caspase-9; (ii) localization of cleaved caspase-9 to the interior and peripheral exterior of nuclei; and (iii) homogeneously distributed cytochrome c in the cytosol. Western blot analysis for 1.5 h after hypoxia showed that cytosolic caspase-9 returned to control values, while whole cell caspase-9 stayed approximately the same, suggesting translocation of caspase-9 to nuclei. By 4 h after hypoxia there was significant nuclear fragmentation and an increase in TUNEL positive staining. 31P/1H nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) confirmed substantial decreases of ATP and phosphocreatine during hypoxia, with rapid but incomplete recovery being close to steady state 1 h after reoxygenation. At all time points after hypoxia the primary injury was cytochrome c associated apoptosis.     

Involvement of Na+ and Ca2+ channel activation and resultant nitric oxide synthesis in glutamate-mediated hypoxic injury in rat cerebrocortical slices

The role of Na+ and Ca2+ channels in glutamate-mediated hypoxic injury was investigated in slices of the rat cerebral cortex. Hypoxic injury was determined by mitochondrial reduction of 3-(4,5-dimethyl-2-thiazol)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide after exposure of brain slices to 30-min of hypoxia/glucose deprivation followed by 3-h of reoxygenation. Endogenous glutamate release was markedly elevated during hypoxia/glucose deprivation, but it returned almost to basal level during reoxygenation. Hypoxic injury was prevented by MK-801 or 6-cyano-7-nitroquinoxaline-2,3-dione. Combined treatment with omega-conotoxin GVIA, omega-agatoxin IVA, and tetrodotoxin reversed the hypoxic injury, although none of these agents alone or nifedipine was effective. Moreover, a novel Na+/Ca2+ channel blocker NS-7 [4-(4-fluorophenyl)-2-methyl-6-(5-piperidinopentyloxy) pyrimidine hydrochloride] significantly inhibited the hypoxic injury. Several inhibitors of nitric oxide synthase also blocked the hypoxic injury. Consistently, nitric oxide synthesis, as estimated from cyclic GMP formation in the extracellular fluids, was enhanced during hypoxia/glucose deprivation. NS-7 and other Na+ and Ca2+ channel blockers suppressed the enhancement of nitric oxide synthesis, although these compounds alone, or in combination, did not reduce hypoxic glutamate release. These findings suggest that hypoxic injury in rat cerebrocortical slices is triggered by glutamate and subsequent enhancement of nitric oxide synthesis through activation of both Na+ and Ca2+ channels. Thus, the simultaneous blockade of both Na+ channel as well as N-type and P/Q-type Ca2+ channels is required to sufficiently reverse the hypoxic injury.     

Aspirin provides cyclin-dependent kinase 5-dependent protection against subsequent hypoxia/reoxygenation damage in culture

Aspirin [acetylsalicylic acid (ASA)] is an anti-inflammatory drug that protects against cellular injury by inhibiting cyclooxygenases (COX), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and p44/42 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p44/42 MAPK), or by preventing translocation of nuclear factor kappaB (NF-kappaB). We studied the effect of ASA pre-treatment on neuronal survival after hypoxia/reoxygenation damage in rat spinal cord (SC) cultures. In this injury model, COX, iNOS and NF-kappaB played no role in the early neuronal death. A 20-h treatment with 3 mm ASA prior to hypoxia/reoxygenation blocked the hypoxia/reoxygenation-induced lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release from neurons. This neuroprotection was associated with increased phosphorylation of neurofilaments, which are substrates of p44/42 MAPK and cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (Cdk5). PD90859, a p44/42 MAPK inhibitor, had no effect on ASA-induced tolerance, but olomoucine and roscovitine, Cdk5 inhibitors, reduced ASA neuroprotection. Hypoxia/reoxygenation alone reduced both the protein amount and activity of Cdk5, and this reduction was inhibited by pre-treatment with ASA. Moreover, the protein amount of a neuronal Cdk5 activator, p35, recovered after reoxygenation only in ASA-treated samples. The prevention of the loss in Cdk5 activity during reoxygenation was crucial for ASA-induced protection, because co-administration of Cdk5 inhibitors at the onset ofreoxygenation abolished the protection. In conclusion, pre-treatment with ASA induces tolerance against hypoxia/reoxygenation damage in spinal cord cultures by restoring Cdk5 and p35 protein expression.