International journal of developmental neuroscience : the official journal of the International Society for Developmental Neuroscience
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Int. J. Dev. Neurosci. · Aug 2015
Induction of TNF-α signaling cascade in neonatal rat brain during propofol anesthesia.
Propofol anesthesia can trigger pro- and anti-apoptotic signaling pathways in the rat brain. In our previous work, we demonstrated that propofol causes widespread apoptotic neurodegeneration in 7-postnatal-day-old (PND7) but not in PND14 rat neurons. The mechanism responsible for these opposing outcomes is unknown, apparently linked to the specific stage of brain development. ⋯ Finally, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein (XIAP) was upregulated in both examined structures. Immunohistochemical staining with Iba-1 revealed that the treatment did not induce changes in microglial morphology. Our results (i) reveal that the simultaneous activation of pro- and anti-apoptotic signaling occurs after propofol anesthesia, and (ii) pinpoint the potential neuroprotective role of XIAP in anesthesia-induced neurotoxicity.
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Int. J. Dev. Neurosci. · Jun 2015
Maternal omega-3 fatty acid supplementation to a vitamin B12 deficient diet normalizes angiogenic markers in the pup brain at birth.
Vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids are critical for normal brain development and function and their deficiencies during pregnancy could have adverse effects on cognitive performance in children. Our earlier studies indicate that both maternal vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids influence brain development by regulating the levels of neurotrophins. Literature suggests that there exists a cross talk between neurotrophins like nerve growth factor (NGF) and angiogenic factors like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). ⋯ Vitamin B12 supplementation showed similar protein and mRNA levels of VEGF and NGF as well as HIF-1 alpha protein levels as compared to control. Omega-3 fatty acid supplementation to the vitamin B12 supplemented group showed higher (p<0.01) protein and mRNA levels of NGF but the protein and mRNA levels of VEGF were comparable to control. In conclusion maternal vitamin B12 and omega-3 fatty acids both influence the levels and expression of neurotrophins and angiogenic factors in the offspring brain suggesting a possible benefit of combined maternal supplementation of these vital nutrients.
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Int. J. Dev. Neurosci. · Jun 2015
Enhanced differentiation of neural stem cells to neurons and promotion of neurite outgrowth by oxygen-glucose deprivation.
Stroke has become the leading cause of mortality worldwide. Hypoxic or ischemic insults are crucial factors mediating the neural damage in the brain tissue of stroke patients. Neural stem cells (NSCs) have been recognized as a promising tool for the treatment of ischemic stroke and other neurodegenerative diseases due to their inducible pluripotency. ⋯ However, long-term 6h and 8h OGD exposures in NSCs lead to decreased cell survival, reduced differentiation and diminished NSC-derived neurite outgrowth. The expressions of neuron-specific microtubule-associated protein 2 (MAP-2) and growth associated protein 43 (GAP-43) are increased by short-term OGD treatments but suppressed by long-term OGD. Overall, our results demonstrate that short-term OGD exposure in vitro induces differentiation of NSCs while maintaining their proliferation and survival, providing valuable insights of adopting NSC-based therapy for ischemic stroke and other neurodegenerative disorders.
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Int. J. Dev. Neurosci. · Apr 2015
Enriched environment restricted to gestation accelerates the development of sensory and motor circuits in the rat pup.
The effects of stimulating environments on the neural plasticity of the adult brain have been well explored; however, how an enriched environment (EE) affects the mother-fetus interaction is poorly understood. We hypothesized that an enriched environment restricted to pregnancy will succeed in accelerating the development of sensory and motor circuits in the offspring. Pregnant Wistar rats were maintained either under a standard condition - two animals per standard cage- or an enriched environment - eight subjects in larger cages with different physical configurations-. ⋯ In addition, EE pups displayed a better performance in righting reflex, inclined board and geotaxis tests (p<0.05). Differences were found even three weeks after birth. We conclude that EE limited to the phase of pregnancy stimulates the development of pups inutero so that they are born with a higher grade of development.
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Int. J. Dev. Neurosci. · Nov 2014
Sevoflurane postconditioning attenuates cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury via protein kinase B/nuclear factor-erythroid 2-related factor 2 pathway activation.
Oxidative damage plays a critical role in many diseases of the central nervous system. This study was conducted to determine the molecular mechanisms involved in the putative anti-oxidative effects of sevoflurane against experimental stroke. Focal cerebral ischemia was performed via 1h of middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. ⋯ Sevoflurane postconditioning administration significantly reduced neurological deficit score, infarct volume and oxidative stress levels, while increased the expression of phosphorylation Akt, NQO1, Nrf2 and the binding activity of Nrf2 to ARE in middle cerebral artery occlusion rats. These neuroprotective effects were all suppressed by LY294002, a selective PI3K blocker. Taken together, these findings provided evidence that sevoflurane postconditioning protects brain against ischemic/reperfusion injury, and this neuroprotective effect involves the Akt/Nrf2 pathway.