Activation of the caspase-3 apoptotic cascade in traumatic spinal cord injury

Differential expression of apoptotic protease-activating factor-1 and caspase-3 genes and susceptibility to apoptosis during brain development and after traumatic brain injury

Neuronal apoptosis plays an essential role in early brain development and contributes to secondary neuronal loss after acute brain injury. Recent studies have provided evidence that neuronal susceptibility to apoptosis induced by traumatic or ischemic injury decreases during brain development. However, the molecular mechanisms responsible for this age-dependent phenomenon remain unclear. Here we demonstrate that, during brain maturation, the potential of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway is progressively reduced and that such repression is associated with downregulation of apoptotic protease-activating factor-1 (Apaf-1) and caspase-3 gene expression. A similar decline in apoptotic susceptibility associated with downregulation of Apaf-1 expression as a function of developmental age was also found in cultured primary rat cortical neurons. Injury-induced cytochrome c-specific cleavage of caspase-9 followed by activation of caspase-3 in mature brain correlated with marked increases in Apaf-1 and caspase-3 mRNA and protein expression. These results suggest that differential expression of Apaf-1 and caspase-3 genes may underlie regulation of apoptotic susceptibility during brain development, as well as after acute injury to mature brain, through the intrinsic pathway of caspase activation.

Caspases 3 and 9 send a pro-apoptotic signal from synapse to cell body in olfactory receptor neurons

Caspase-9, an initiator caspase, and caspase-3, an effector caspase, have been suggested to mediate the terminal stages of neuronal apoptosis, but little is known about their activation in vivo. We examined temporal and spatial aspects of caspase-9 and -3 activation in olfactory receptor neurons (ORNs) undergoing apoptosis after target removal in vivo. After removal of the olfactory bulb, enhanced expression of procaspase-9 and -3 is observed in ORNs, followed by activation initially at the level of the lesion, then in axons, and only later in the ORN soma. We established the amyloid precursor-like protein-2 (APLP2) as a caspase substrate that is cleaved in an identical spatiotemporal pattern, suggesting its cleavage is the result of retrograde propagation of a pro-apoptotic signal in a caudorostral wave from the synapse through the axon to the ORN cell body. A null mutation in caspase-3 causes a change in axonal patterning indicative of an overall developmental expansion of the ORN population, and mature ORNs of caspase-3 knock-outs do not undergo caspase-dependent terminal dUTP nick end labeling-positive apoptosis after olfactory bulb removal. These results demonstrate that ORNs require caspase-3 activation to undergo normal developmental and mature target-deprived apoptosis. In addition, we demonstrate an axonal site of action for caspase-3 and -9 and show that regulation and activation of caspase-3 and -9 leading to apoptosis is a highly ordered process that occurs initially at the presynaptic level and only later at the cell body after deafferentation.

Tumor necrosis factor receptor deletion reduces nuclear factor-kappaB activation, cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 2 expression, and functional recovery after traumatic spinal cord injury

Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) expression has been documented extensively in animal models of traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI). However, the pathophysiological significance of TNF-alpha expression in the injured cord remains to be delineated. The TNF receptor (TNFR)-nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) signal transduction pathway is important for maintaining cell viability. NF-kappaB exerts anti-apoptotic effects via an endogenous caspase inhibitory system mediated by cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein 2 (c-IAP2). NF-kappaB transactivates c-IAP2 to inhibit caspase-3 activation. Progressive cell death, including morphological and biochemical features suggestive of apoptosis, has been noted after SCI. We explored the effects of TNFR1 or TNFR2 deletion on the apoptotic events downstream of NF-kappaB in relation to SCI pathology and functional recovery. Nuclear proteins from the injured cords of the TNFR1(-/-) mice had a reduced NF-kappaB binding activity compared with the wild-type controls. This decrease in NF-kappaB activation was accompanied by a reduction in c-IAP2 expression and an increase in the active form of caspase-3 protein. After SCI the TNFR1(-/-) mice had greater numbers of apoptotic cells, a larger lesion size, and worse functional recovery than wild-type mice. TNFR2-deficient mice had a similar, although not as pronounced, consequence as the TNFR1(-/-) mice. These findings support the argument that the TNFR-NF-kappaB pathway is beneficial for limiting apoptotic cell death after SCI and that a defective TNFR-NF-kappaB pathway results in a poorer neurological outcome. A worse functional outcome in TNFR(-/-) mice suggests that an endogenous apoptosis inhibitory mechanism mediated by TNFR activation, NF-kappaB, and c-IAP2 may be of pathophysiological importance.

IL-1 receptor antagonist prevents apoptosis and caspase-3 activation after spinal cord injury

One of the consequences of cytokine-orchestrated inflammation after CNS trauma is apoptosis. Our hypothesis is that cell death in the spinal cord after injury results in part from increased synthesis and release of IL-1beta. Using a ribonuclease protection assay, we demonstrated that there is increased transient expression of IL-1beta mRNA and, by using IL-1beta protein ELISA assay, that there are increased IL-1beta protein levels in the contused rat spinal cord, initially localized to the impact region of the spinal cord (segment T8). Using an ELISA cell death assay, we showed that there is apoptosis in the spinal cord 72 h after injury, a finding that was confirmed by measuring caspase-3 activity, which also significantly increased at the site of injury 72 h after trauma. Treatment of the contused spinal cord at the site of injury with the IL-1 receptor antagonist (rmIL-lra, 750 ng/mL) for 72 h using an osmotic minipump completely abolished the increases in contusion-induced apoptosis and caspase-3 activity.

Acute spinal cord injury, part I: pathophysiologic mechanisms

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating and common neurologic disorder that has profound influences on modern society from physical, psychosocial, and socioeconomic perspectives. Accordingly, the present decade has been labeled the Decade of the Spine to emphasize the importance of SCI and other spinal disorders. Spinal cord injury may be divided into both primary and secondary mechanisms of injury. The primary injury, in large part, determines a given patient's neurologic grade on admission and thereby is the strongest prognostic indicator. However, secondary mechanisms of injury can exacerbate damage and limit restorative processes, and hence, contribute to overall morbidity and mortality. A burgeoning body of evidence has facilitated our understanding of these secondary mechanisms of injury that are amenable to pharmacological interventions, unlike the primary injury itself. Secondary mechanisms of injury encompass an array of perturbances and include neurogenic shock, vascular insults such as hemorrhage and ischemia-reperfusion, excitotoxicity, calcium-mediated secondary injury and fluid-electrolyte disturbances, immunologic injury, apoptosis, disturbances in mitochondrion function, and other miscellaneous processes. Comprehension of secondary mechanisms of injury serves as a basis for the development and application of targeted pharmacological strategies to confer neuroprotection and restoration while mitigating ongoing neural injury. The first article in this series will comprehensively review the pathophysiology of SCI while emphasizing those mechanisms for which pharmacologic therapy has been developed, and the second article reviews the pharmacologic interventions for SCI.

Acute spinal cord injury, part II: contemporary pharmacotherapy

Spinal cord injury (SCI) remains a common and devastating problem of modern society. Through an understanding of underlying pathophysiologic mechanisms involved in the evolution of SCI, treatments aimed at ameliorating neural damage may be developed. The possible pharmacologic treatments for acute spinal cord injury are herein reviewed. Myriad treatment modalities, including corticosteroids, 21-aminosteroids, opioid receptor antagonists, gangliosides, thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) and TRH analogs, antioxidants and free radical scavengers, calcium channel blockers, magnesium replacement therapy, sodium channel blockers, N -methyl-D-aspartate receptor antagonists, alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid-kainate receptor antagonists, modulators of arachadonic acid metabolism, neurotrophic growth factors, serotonin antagonists, antibodies against inhibitors of axonal regeneration, potassium channel blockers (4-aminopyridine), paclitaxel, clenbuterol, progesterone, gabexate mesylate, activated protein C, caspase inhibitors, tacrolimus, antibodies against adhesion molecules, and other immunomodulatory therapy have been studied to date. Although most of these agents have shown promise, only one agent, methylprednisolone, has been shown to provide benefit in large clinical trials. Given these data, many individuals consider methylprednisolone to be the standard of care for the treatment of acute SCI. However, this has not been established definitively, and questions pertaining to methodology have emerged regarding the National Acute Spinal Cord Injury Study trials that provided these conclusions. Additionally, the clinical significance (in contrast to statistical significance) of recovery after methylprednisolone treatment is unclear and must be considered in light of the potential adverse effects of such treatment. This first decade of the new millennium, now touted as the Decade of the Spine, will hopefully witness the emergence of universal and efficacious pharmacologic therapy and ultimately a cure for SCI.

Temporal and spatial profile of caspase 8 expression and proteolysis after experimental traumatic brain injury

Recent studies have demonstrated that the downstream caspases, such as caspase 3, act as executors of the apoptotic cascade after traumatic brain injury (TBI) in vivo. However, little is known about the involvement of caspases in the initiation phase of apoptosis, and the interaction between these initiator caspases (e.g. caspase 8) and executor caspases after experimental brain injuries in vitro and in vivo. This study investigated the temporal expression and cell subtype distribution of procaspase 8 and cleaved caspase 8 p20 from 1 h to 14 days after cortical impact-induced TBI in rats. Caspase 8 messenger RNA levels, estimated by semiquantitaive RT-PCR, were elevated from 1 h to 72 h in the traumatized cortex. Western blotting revealed increased immunoreactivity for procaspase 8 and the proteolytically active subunit of caspase 8, p20, in the ipsilateral cortex from 6 to 72 h after injury, with a peak at 24 h after TBI. Similar to our previous studies, immunoreactivity for the p18 fragment of activated caspase 3 also increased in the current study from 6 to 72 h after TBI, but peaked at a later timepoint (48 h) as compared with proteolyzed caspase 8 p20. Immunohistologic examinations revealed increased expression of caspase 8 in neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Assessment of DNA damage using TUNEL identified caspase 8- and caspase 3-immunopositive cells with apoptotic-like morphology in the cortex ipsilateral to the injury site, and immunohistochemical investigations of caspase 8 and activated caspase 3 revealed expression of both proteases in cortical layers 2-5 after TBI. Quantitative analysis revealed that the number of caspase 8 positive cells exceeds the number of caspase 3 expressing cells up to 24 h after impact injury. In contrast, no evidence of caspase 8 and caspase 3 activation was seen in the ipsilateral hippocampus, contralateral cortex and hippocampus up to 14 days after the impact. Our results provide the first evidence of caspase 8 activation after experimental TBI and suggest that this may occur in neurons, astrocytes and oligodendrocytes. Our findings also suggest a contributory role of caspase 8 activation to caspase 3 mediated apoptotic cell death after experimental TBI in vivo.

Caspase-dependent apoptotic pathways in CNS injury

Recent studies have suggested a role for neuronal apoptosis in cell loss following acute CNS injury as well as in chronic neurodegeneration. Caspases are a family of cysteine requiring aspartate proteases with sequence similarity to Ced-3 protein of Caenorhabditis elegans. These proteases have been found to contribute significantly to the morphological and biochemical manifestations of apoptotic cell death. Caspases are translated as inactive zymogens and become active after specific cleavage. Of the 14 identified caspases, caspase-3 appears to be the major effector of neuronal apoptosis induced by a variety of stimuli. A role for caspase-3 in injury-induced neuronal cell death has been established using semispecific peptide caspase inhibitors. This article reviews the current literature relating to pathways regulating caspase activation in apoptosis associated with acute and chronic neurodegeneration, and suggests that identification of critical upstream caspase regulatory mechanisms may permit more effective treatment of such disorders.

Expressions of caspase-3, Tunel, and Hsp72 immunoreactivities in cultured spinal cord neurons of rat after exposure to glutamate, nitric oxide, or peroxynitrite

Although excitotoxic and oxidative stress play important roles in spinal neuron death, the exact mechanisms are not fully understood. We examined cell damage of primary culture of 11 day-old rat spinal cord by addition of glutamate, nitric oxice (NO) or peroxynitrite (PN) with detection of caspase-3, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin in situ nick end labeling (TUNEL) or 72 kDa heat shock protein (HSP72). With addition of glutamate, NOC18 (a slow NO releaser) or PN, immunoreactivity for caspase-3 became stronger in the cytoplasm of large motor neurons in the ventral horn at 6 to 24 hr. TUNEL positive nuclei were found in spinal large motor neurons from 24 h and the positive cell proportion greatly increased at 48 h in contrast to the vehicle. On the other hand, the immunoreactivity of HSP72 in the ventral horn was already positive at 0 h, and gradually decreased in the course of time with glutamate, NOC18 or PN than vehicle treatment. In the dorsal horn, the proportion of caspase-3 positive small neurons greatly increased at 6 to 48 h after addition of glutamate. The present results suggest that both excitotoxic and oxidative stress play important roles in the apoptotic pathway in cultured spinal neurons.

Cell death in spinal cord injury (SCI) requires de novo protein synthesis. Calpain inhibitor E-64-d provides neuroprotection in SCI lesion and penumbra

Degradation of cytoskeletal proteins by calpain, a Ca(2+)-dependent cysteine protease, may promote neuronal apoptosis in the lesion and surrounding areas following spinal cord injury (SCI). Clinically relevant moderate (40 g-cm force) SCI in rats was induced at T12 by a standardized weight-drop method. Internucleosomal DNA fragmentation or apoptosis in the lesion was inhibited by 24-h treatment of SCI rats with cycloheximide (1 mg/kg), indicating a requirement for de novo protein synthesis in this process. To prove an involvement of calpain activity in mediation of apoptosis in SCI, we treated SCI rats with a cell-permeable calpain inhibitor E-64-d (1 mg/kg). Following 24-h treatment, a 5-cm-long spinal cord section centered at the lesion was collected, and divided equally into five segments (1 cm each) to determine calpain activity, as shown by degradation of the 68-kD neurofilament protein (NFP), and apoptosis as indicated by internucleosomal DNA fragmentation. Neurodegeneration propagated from the site of injury to neighboring rostral and caudal regions. Both calpain activity and apoptosis were readily detectable in the lesion, and moderately so in neighboring areas of untreated SCI rats, whereas these were almost undetectable in E-64-d-treated SCI rats, and absent in sham animals. Results indicate that apoptosis in the SCI lesion and penumbra is prominently associated with calpain activity and is inhibited by the calpain inhibitor E-64-d providing neuroprotective benefit.

Minocycline reduces traumatic brain injury-mediated caspase-1 activation, tissue damage, and neurological dysfunction

OBJECTIVE

Caspase-1 plays an important functional role mediating neuronal cell death and dysfunction after experimental traumatic brain injury (TBI) in mice. Minocycline, a derivative of the antibiotic tetracycline, inhibits caspase-1 expression. This study investigates whether minocycline can ameliorate TBI-mediated injury in mice.

METHODS

Brains from mice subjected to traumatic brain injury underwent immunohistochemical analyses for caspase-1, caspase-3, and a neuronal specific marker (NeuN). Minocycline- and saline-treated mice subjected to traumatic brain injury were compared with respect to neurological function, lesion volume, and interleukin-1beta production.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemical analysis revealed that activated caspase-1 and caspase-3 are present in neurons 24 hours after TBI. Intraperitoneal administration of minocycline 12 hours before or 30 minutes after TBI in mice resulted in improved neurological function when compared with mice given saline control, as assessed by Rotarod performance 1 to 4 days after TBI. The lesion volume, assessed 4 days after trauma, was significantly decreased in mice treated with minocycline before or after trauma when compared with saline-treated mice. Caspase-1 activity, quantified by measuring mature interleukin-1beta production by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, was considerably increased in mice that underwent TBI, and this increase was significantly diminished in minocycline-treated mice.

CONCLUSION

We show for the first time that caspase-1 and caspase-3 activities localize specifically within neurons after experimental brain trauma. Further, these results indicate that minocycline is an effective pharmacological agent for reducing tissue injury and neurological deficits that result from experimental TBI, likely through a caspase-1-dependent mechanism. These results provide an experimental rationale for the evaluation of minocycline in human trauma patients.

Oligodendroglial apoptosis occurs along degenerating axons and is associated with FAS and p75 expression following spinal cord injury in the rat

Apoptosis or programmed cell death has been reported after CNS trauma. However, the significance of this mechanism in the pathophysiology of spinal cord injury, in particular at the cervical level, requires further investigation. In the present study, we used the extradural clip compression model in the rat to examine the cellular distribution of apoptosis following cervical spinal cord injury, the relationship between glial apoptosis and post-traumatic axonal degeneration and the possible role of apo[apoptosis]-1, CD95 (FAS) and p75 in initiating post-traumatic glial apoptosis. In situ terminal-deoxy-transferase mediated dUTP nick end labeling revealed apoptotic cells, largely oligodendrocytes as identified by cell specific markers, in grey and white matter following spinal cord injury. Apoptotic cell death was confirmed using electron microscopy and by the demonstration of DNA laddering on agarose gel electrophoresis. Beta-amyloid precursor protein was used as a molecular marker of axonal degeneration on western blots and immunohistochemistry. Degeneration of axons was temporally and spatially co-localized with glial apoptosis. FAS and p75 protein expression was seen in astrocytes, oligodendrocytes and microglia, and was also seen in some apoptotic glia after cord injury. Both FAS and p75 increased in expression in a temporal course, which mirrored the development of cellular apoptosis. The downstream caspases 3 and 8, which are linked to FAS and p75, demonstrated activation at times of maximal apoptosis, while FLIP-L an inhibitor of caspase 8, decreased at times of maximal apoptosis. We conclude that axonal degeneration after traumatic spinal cord injury is associated with glial, in particular oligodendroglial, apoptosis. Activation of the FAS and p75 death receptor pathways may be involved in initiating this process.

Apoptotic and anti-apoptotic mechanisms following spinal cord injury

A number of studies have provided evidence that cell death from moderate traumatic spinal cord injury (SCI) is regulated, in part, by apoptosis that involves the caspase family of cysteine proteases. However, little or no information is available about anti-apoptotic mechanisms mediated by the inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP) family of proteins that inhibit cell death pathways. In the present study, we examined caspase and IAP expression in spinal cords of rats subjected to moderate traumatic injury. Within 6 h after injury, caspase-8 and-9 (2 initiators of apoptosis) were predominantly present in gray matter neurons within the lesion epicenter. By 3 days following spinal cord injury (SCI), caspase-8 and-9 immunoreactivity was localized to gray and white matter cells, and by 7 days following SCI, both upstream caspases were expressed in cells within white matter or within foamy macrophages in gray matter. Caspase-3, an effector caspase, was evident in a few fragmented cells in gray matter at 24 h following injury and then localized to white matter in later stages. Thus, distinct patterns of caspase expression can be found in the spinal cord following injury. XIAP, cIAP-1, and cIAP-2, members of the IAP family, were constitutively expressed in the cord. Immunoblots of spinal cord extracts revealed that the processed forms of caspases-8 and-9 and cleavage of PARP are present as early as 6 h following trauma. The expression of caspases corresponded with the detection of cleavage of XIAP into 2 fragments following injury. cIAP-1 and cIAP-2 expression remained constant during early periods following SCI but demonstrated alterations by 7 days following SCI. Our data are consistent with the idea that XIAP may have a protective role within the spinal cord, and that alteration in cleavage of XIAP may regulate cell death following SCI.

Caspase-3 apoptotic signaling following injury to the central nervous system

Apoptotic cell death is a fundamental and highly regulated biological process in which a cell is instructed to participate actively in its own demise. This process of cellular suicide is activated by developmental and environmental cues and normally plays an essential role in eliminating superfluous, damaged, and senescent cells of many tissue types. In recent years, a number of experimental studies have provided evidence of widespread neuronal and glial apoptosis following injury to the central nervous system (CNS). These studies indicate that injury-induced apoptosis can be detected from hours to days following injury and may contribute to neurological dysfunction. Given these findings, understanding the biochemical signaling events controlling apoptosis is a first step towards developing therapeutic agents which would target this cell death process. This review will focus on the molecular cell death pathways responsible for generating the apoptotic phenotype, summarize what is currently known about apoptotic signals activated in the injured CNS, and what potential strategies might be pursued to reduce this cell death process as a means to promote functional recovery.

Paradoxical increase in neuronal DNA fragmentation after neuroprotective free radical scavenger treatment in experimental traumatic brain injury

The mechanisms and role of nerve cell death after traumatic brain injury (TBI) are not fully understood. The authors investigated the effect of pretreatment with the oxygen free radical spin trap alpha-phenyl-N-tert-butyl-nitrone (PBN) on the number of neurons undergoing apoptosis after TBI in rats. Apoptotic cells were identified by the TUNEL method combined with the nuclear stain, Hoechst 33258, and immunohistochemistry for the active form of caspase-3. Numerous neurons became positive for activated caspase 3 and TUNEL in the cortex at 24 hours after injury, suggesting ongoing biochemical apoptosis. In PBN-treated rats, a significantly greater number of cells were found to be TUNEL positive at 24 hours compared with controls. However, PBN treatment resulted in a reduced cortical lesion volume and improved behavioral outcome two weeks after injury. The authors conclude that a treatment producing an increase in DNA fragmentation in the early phase may be compatible with an overall beneficial effect on outcome after TBI. This should be considered in the screening process for future neuroprotective remedies.

Temporal-spatial pattern of acute neuronal and glial loss after spinal cord contusion

The secondary loss of neurons and glia over the first 24 h after spinal cord injury (SCI) contributes to the permanent functional deficits that are the unfortunate consequence of SCI. The progression of this acute secondary cell death in specific neuronal and glial populations has not previously been investigated in a quantitative manner. We used a well-characterized model of SCI to analyze the loss of ventral motoneurons (VMN) and ventral funicular astrocytes and oligodendrocytes at 15 min and 4, 8, and 24 h after an incomplete midthoracic contusion injury in the rat. We found that both the length of lesion and the length of spinal cord devoid of VMN increased in a time-dependent manner. The extent of VMN loss at specified distances rostral and caudal to the injury epicenter progressed symmetrically with time. Neuronal loss was accompanied by a loss of glial cells in ventral white matter that was significant at the epicenter by 4 h after injury. Oligodendrocyte loss followed the same temporal pattern as that of VMN while astrocyte loss was delayed. This information on the temporal-spatial pattern of cell loss can be used to investigate mechanisms involved in secondary injury of neurons and glia after SCI.

Oligodendroglial cell death with DNA fragmentation in the white matter under chronic cerebral hypoperfusion: comparison between normotensive and spontaneously hypertensive rats

We investigated the neuropathological and biochemical changes in the white matter of normotensive Wistar Kyoto (WKY) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) after bilateral carotid artery ligation (BCAL). One week after BCAL, both WKY and SHR showed white matter rarefaction and vacuolation with reduced oligodendrocytes, but there was no difference between WKY and SHR. On the other hand, vacuoles formed by oligodendroglial cell death were increased significantly from 2 to 4 weeks in the optic tract and fimbria fornix of hypoperfused SHR. Furthermore, terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP in situ nick end labeling (TUNEL)-positive cells and lectin-positive microglia increased in number and intensities of staining more markedly in SHR than in WKY. In situ cell death detection ELISA supported these results quantitatively. RT-PCR represented the expression of TNF-alpha, TNF receptor 1 (p55), caspase-2 (Ich-1) and -3 (CPP32) mRNAs in both WKY and SHR brains after BCAL. Immunohistochemical analyses revealed that TNF-alpha, TNF receptor 1 (p55), Ich-1 and CPP32 immunoreactive cells could also be detected in the white matter regions of hypoperfused SHR. These results suggested that local production of TNF-alpha by the activated microglia might selectively induce oligodendroglial cell death through the death domain-containing TNF receptor 1 (p55), caspase-2 or -3 activation, resulting in white matter changes as a primary pathological feature.

Presence and significance of CD-95 (Fas/APO1) expression after spinal cord injury

OBJECT

A glycoprotein, CD95 (Fas/APO1) is widely considered to be implicated in the development of apoptosis in a number of tissues. Based on the hypothesis that apoptosis is related to cell death after spinal cord injury (SCI), the authors studied the presence and distribution of CD95 (Fas/APO1)-positive cells in injured spinal cord tissue for the purpose of determining the significance of this protein during the early phases of SCI.

METHODS

The presence and distribution of cells showing positive immunostaining for CD95 (Fas/APO1) were studied 1, 4, 8, 24, 48, and 72 hours and 1, 2, and 4 weeks after induction of experimental SCI in rats. Studies were conducted using a monoclonal antibody to the CD95 (Fas/APO1) protein. Positivity for CD95 (Fas/APO1) was observed in apoptotic cells, mainly in the gray matter, 1 hour after trauma, and the number of immunostained cells increased for the first 8 hours, at which time the protein was expressed in both gray and white matter. From 24 to 72 hours postinjury, the number of immunostained cells decreased in the gray matter, but increased in the white matter. From then on, there were fewer CD95 (Fas/APO1)-positive cells, but some cells in the white matter still exhibited positive immunostaining 1 and 2 weeks after injury. At 4 weeks, there remained no CD95 (Fas/APO1)-positive cells in injured spinal cord.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings indicate that CD95 (Fas/APO1) is expressed after SCI, suggesting a role for this protein in the development of apoptosis after trauma and the possibility of a new therapeutic approach to SCI based on blocking the CD95 (Fas/APO1) system.

Nicotine protects against arachidonic-acid-induced caspase activation, cytochrome c release and apoptosis of cultured spinal cord neurons

Hydrolysis of membrane phospholipids of spinal cord neurons is one of the first events initiated in spinal cord trauma. In this process, free fatty acids, and in particular arachidonic acid, are released. Exposure of spinal cord neurons to free arachidonic acid can compromise cell survival and initiate apoptotic cell death. In order to determine potential mechanisms of apoptosis induced by arachidonic acid, activation of caspases -3, -8, and -9, as well as the release of cytochrome c into the cytoplasm were measured in cultured spinal cord neurons exposed to 10 microM of this fatty acid. In addition, because nicotine can exert a variety of neuroprotective effects, we hypothesized that it can prevent arachidonic acid induced apoptosis of spinal cord neurons. To study this hypothesis, spinal cord neurons were pretreated with nicotine (10 microM for 2 h) before arachidonic acid exposure and caspase activation as well as markers of apoptotic cell death were studied. Treatment of spinal cord neurons with arachidonic acid for up to 24 h significantly increased cytoplasmic levels of cytochrome c, induced caspase activation and induced DNA laddering, a hallmark of apoptotic cell death. Nicotine pretreatment markedly attenuated all these effects. In addition, antagonist studies suggest that the alpha7 nicotinic receptor is primarily responsible for these anti-apoptotic effects of nicotine. These results indicate that nicotine can exert potent neuroprotective effects by inhibiting arachidonic acid induced apoptotic cascades of spinal cord neurons.

Calcineurin-mediated BAD dephosphorylation activates the caspase-3 apoptotic cascade in traumatic spinal cord injury

We report here that activation of the caspase-3 apoptotic cascade in spinal cord injury is regulated, in part, by calcineurin-mediated BAD dephosphorylation. BAD, a proapoptotic member of the bcl-2 gene family, is rapidly dephosphorylated after injury, dissociates from 14-3-3 in the cytosol, and translocates to the mitochondria of neurons where it binds to Bcl-x(L). Pretreatment of animals with FK506, a potent inhibitor of calcineurin activity, or MK801, an NMDA glutamate receptor antagonist, blocked BAD dephosphorylation and abolished activation of the caspase-3 apoptotic cascade. These findings extend previous in vitro observations and are the first to implicate the involvement of glutamate-mediated calcineurin activation and BAD dephosphorylation as upstream, premitochondrial signaling events leading to caspase-3 activation in traumatic spinal cord injury.

Regulation of Trk receptors following contusion of the rat spinal cord

Neurotrophins function through high-affinity tyrosine kinase (Trk) receptors to promote growth and survival of cells in the injured nervous system. To investigate the role of Trk receptors in the adult nervous system, we examined TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC mRNA expression in spinal cord and brain after spinal contusion. At 1 day postinjury, all Trk receptor transcripts were down regulated at and around the site of injury, a situation that persisted through the first week. By 42 days, Trk expression was absent only within the cavity. In addition, truncated TrkB expression was substantially increased in ependymal cells and astrocytes surrounding the lesion cavity of chronically injured spinal cords. Rostral and caudal to the injury site, TrkA, TrkB, and TrkC mRNA expression did not differ from that of uninjured control spinal cords. Furthermore, no changes were observed in TrkB or TrkC expression in the axotomized corticospinal and rubrospinal neurons. These studies suggest that loss of Trk receptors at the injury site may contribute to the early progressive cellular loss in injured spinal cords, while increased presence of truncated TrkB receptors in the chronic injured spinal cord may sequester and restrict BDNF availability to support axonal regeneration and neuronal survival. The persistence of Trk receptors on supraspinal neurons suggests that neurotrophin application can support growth and survival in the acute and chronic injury states.

Rapid upregulation of caspase-3 in rat spinal cord after injury: mRNA, protein, and cellular localization correlates with apoptotic cell death

Although the precise mechanisms explaining loss of, and failure to regain, function after spinal cord injury are unknown, there is increasing interest in the role of "secondary cell death." One prevalent theme in cell loss in other regions of the CNS involves apoptosis executed by the intracellular caspase proteases. A recent study demonstrated that spinal cord injury rapidly increased the activation of caspase-3. Our previous studies demonstrated peak apoptosis in three of four cellular compartments 3 days after controlled contusion in the rat. We have extended these analyses to include enzyme and substrate studies of caspase subfamilies both in rostral and in caudal adjacent segments compared to the lesion site. Although presumed activation of programmed proenzyme is considered the mechanism for enhanced caspases, our novel analyses were designed to detect upregulation of gene expression. We surveyed traumatically injured spinal cord for caspase family messages with a modified differential mRNA display approach and found that the caspase-3 (CASP3) message was present and upregulated severalfold after injury. Our results clearly demonstrate that cell death in the spinal cord occurs after posttranslational activation of caspases that follow, at least for caspase-3, initial upregulation of CASP3 mRNA levels.

Upregulation of neurotoxic serine proteases, prothrombin, and protease-activated receptor 1 early after spinal cord injury

Apoptosis, well-established in development and now also in degenerative disease, occurs with regularity in several cell compartments early after controlled contusion spinal cord injury (SCI). Cell death in astrocytic, microglial, and neuronal populations peaks at 3 days, while oligodendroglial apoptosis is found 10-14 days later. In this regard, the executioners of apoptosis, the caspase proteases, are also activated within 3 days of SCI. On the other hand, serine proteases, which have been shown to initiate apoptosis and activate caspases in culture models, have not been extensively studied in regards to nervous system trauma. As part of an ongoing effort to examine the spectrum of genes that are up- and downregulated in the injured rat spinal cord, we synthesized serine protease family specific primers to take advantage of conserved residues in the charge relay system and the codon preferences of these mammalian genes. These primers were then employed in a modified, family-specific differential mRNA display technique. One specific serine protease gene we found that was upregulated after injury was prothrombin. Qualitative and quantitative RT-PCR techniques indicated that this increase occurred early, already evident at 8 h after injury, and reached a maximum level fourfold above baseline at 24 h. Peak expression for prothrombin mRNA occurred prior to peak levels of apoptosis in astrocytic, microglial and neuronal compartments at 72 h. Of additional interest, gene database mining revealed that prothrombin shared approximately 48% similarity with myelencephalon-specific protease (MSP), a neurotoxic serine protease previously found to be increased two- to threefold at 3 days after excitotoxic SCI. Since thrombin induces apoptosis in murine and chick motor and rat hippocampal neurons by activating a member of the novel protease-activated receptor (PAR) gene family known as PAR-1, we also analyzed PAR-1 by similar techniques and found that it, too, was upregulated after SCI with the same kinetics as prothrombin. We confirmed these results with gene array analyses that revealed more than one trypsin subfamily serine protease was activated by SCI. They imply the possibility of using specific, tissue-directed serine protease inhibition at translational or transcriptional levels, and offer a potential paradigm shift in drug discovery for SCI to limit the extent of apoptosis, and consequent functional loss, in the human spinal cord.

Role of tumor necrosis factor-alpha in neuronal and glial apoptosis after spinal cord injury

We investigated the role of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in the onset of neuronal and glial apoptosis after traumatic spinal cord crush injury in rats. A few TUNEL-positive cells were first observed within and surrounding the lesion area 4 h after injury, with the largest number observed 24-48 h after injury. Double-labeling of cells using cell type-specific markers revealed that TUNEL-positive cells were either neurons or oligodendrocytes. One hour after injury, an intense immunoreactivity to TNF-alpha was observed in neurons and glial cells in the lesion area, but also seen in cells several mm from the lesion site rostrally and caudally. The level of nitric oxide (NO) also significantly increased in the spinal cord 4 h after injury. The injection of a neutralizing antibody against TNF-alpha into the lesion site several min after injury significantly reduced both the level of NO observed 4 h thereafter as well as the number of apoptotic cells observed 24 h after spinal cord trauma. An inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), N(G)-monomethyl-l-arginine acetate (l-NMMA), also reduced the number of apoptotic cells. This reduction of apoptotic cells was associated with a decrease in DNA laddering on agarose gel electrophoresis. These results suggest that: (i) TNF-alpha may function as an external signal initiating apoptosis in neurons and oligodendrocytes after spinal cord injury; and (ii) TNF-alpha-initiated apoptosis may be mediated in part by NO as produced by a NOS expressed in response to TNF-alpha.

Apoptosis in neurodegenerative disorders

Neuronal death underlies the symptoms of many human neurological disorders, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and Huntington's diseases, stroke, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The identification of specific genetic and environmental factors responsible for these diseases has bolstered evidence for a shared pathway of neuronal death--apoptosis--involving oxidative stress, perturbed calcium homeostasis, mitochondrial dysfunction and activation of cysteine proteases called caspases. These death cascades are counteracted by survival signals, which suppress oxyradicals and stabilize calcium homeostasis and mitochondrial function. With the identification of mechanisms that either promote or prevent neuronal apoptosis come new approaches for preventing and treating neurodegenerative disorders.

Expression of bcl-2, bax, and caspase-3 in the brain of the developing rat

Naturally occurring neuronal death (NOND) is generally considered to be apoptotic. Apoptosis is an active form of cell death in which the regulation of specific proteins produces anti- or pro-apoptotic signals. Two of the protein families involved in this regulation are the bcl proteins and caspases. A quantitative immunoblotting technique was used to examine the temporal expression of bcl-2, bax, and two isoforms of caspase 3 (an active 20 kDa isoform and the inactive 32 kDa precursor) throughout the developing neuraxis. Long-Evans rat fetuses were collected on gestational day (G) 16 and G19, and pups were harvested on postnatal day (P) 0, P3, P6, P12, P21, and P30. Brains were divided into five segments: cortex, thalamus, midbrain, medulla/pons, and cerebellum. In general, the expression of bax increased and the ratio of bcl-2 expression to bax expression decreased concurrent with published data on the onset of NOND in a given area. The timing of these events was paralleled by an increase in the expression of active caspase 3. Unlike the bcl proteins, caspase 3 expression returned toward fetal levels as the brain matured. The timing of the changes in bcl protein and caspase expression show that both protein families are involved in promoting neuronal death. Reductions in caspase expression (and not bcl-2 and bax expression) are key to ending the period of NOND.

Functional role and therapeutic implications of neuronal caspase-1 and -3 in a mouse model of traumatic spinal cord injury

Evidence indicates that both necrotic and apoptotic cell death contribute to tissue injury and neurological dysfunction following spinal cord injury. Caspases have been implicated as important mediators of apoptosis following acute central nervous system insults. We investigated whether caspase-1 and caspase-3 are involved in spinal cord injury-mediated cell death, and whether caspase inhibition may reduce tissue damage and improve outcome following spinal cord injury. We demonstrate a 17-fold increase in caspase-1 activity in traumatized spinal cord samples when compared with samples from sham-operated mice. Caspase-1 and caspase-3 activation were also detected by western blot following spinal cord injury, which was significantly inhibited by the broad caspase inhibitor N-benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone. By immunofluorescence or in situ fluorogenic substrate assay, caspase-1 and caspase-3 expression were detected in neuronal and non-neuronal cells following spinal cord injury. N-Benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethylketone treated mice, and transgenic mice expressing a caspase-1 dominant negative mutant, demonstrated a significant improvement of motor function and a reduction of lesion size compared with vehicle-treated mice. Our results demonstrate for the first time that both caspase-1 and caspase-3 are activated in neurons following spinal cord injury, and that caspase inhibition reduces post-traumatic lesion size and improves motor performance. Caspase inhibitors may be one of the agents to be used for the treatment of spinal cord injury.

Fas receptor and neuronal cell death after spinal cord ischemia

Cell death from spinal cord injury is mediated in part by apoptotic mechanisms involving downstream caspases (e.g., caspase-3). Upstream mechanisms may involve other caspases such as procaspase-8, a 55 kDa apical caspase, which we found constitutively expressed within spinal cord neurons along with Fas. As early as 1.5 hr after transient ischemia, activated caspase-8 (p18) and caspase-8 mRNA appeared within neurons in intermediate gray matter and in medial ventral horn. We also detected evidence for an increase in death receptor complex by co-immunoprecipitation using Fas and anti-procaspase-8 after ischemia. At early time points, Fas and p18 were co-expressed within individual neurons, as were activated caspase-8 and caspase-3. Moreover, we detected p18 in cells before procaspase-3 cleavage product (p20), suggesting sequential activation. The appearance of cytosolic cytochrome c and gelsolin cleavage after ischemia was consistent with mitochondrial release and caspase-3 activation, respectively. Numerous terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated DNA nick end-labeling-positive neurons contained p18 or p20 (65 and 80%, respectively), thereby supporting the idea that cells undergoing cell death contain both processed caspases. Our data are consistent with the idea that transient spinal cord ischemia induces the formation of a death-inducing signaling complex, which may participate in caspase-8 activation and sequential caspase-3 cleavage. Death receptors as well as downstream caspases may be useful therapeutic targets for limiting the death of cells in spinal cord.

Effects of matrix metalloproteinase-9 gene knock-out on morphological and motor outcomes after traumatic brain injury

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) belong to a class of extracellular proteinases responsible for maintaining and remodeling the extracellular matrix. In addition to multiple functions in normal physiology, abnormal MMP expression and activity may also participate in the pathophysiology of cerebral disease. Here, we show that MMP-9 (gelatinase B; EC.3.4.24.35) contributes to the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury. After controlled cortical impact in mice, MMP-9 was increased in traumatized brain. Total MMP-9 levels at 24 hr were significantly increased as measured by a substrate cleavage assay. Zymograms showed that MMP-9 was elevated as early as 3 hr after traumatic brain injury, reaching a maximum at approximately 24 hr. Increased MMP-9 levels persisted for up to 1 week. Western blot analysis indicated increased profiles of MMP-9 expression that corresponded with the zymographic data. Knock-out mice deficient in MMP-9 gene expression were compared with wild-type littermates in terms of morphological and motor outcomes after trauma. Motor outcomes were measured at 1, 2, and 7 d after traumatic brain injury by the use of a rotarod device. MMP-9 knock-out mice had less motor deficits than wild-type mice. At 7 d, traumatic brain lesion volumes on Nissl-stained histological sections were significantly smaller in MMP-9 knock-out mice. These data demonstrate that MMP-9 contributes to the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury and suggest that interruption of the MMP proteolytic cascade may be a possible therapeutic approach for preventing the secondary progression of damage after brain trauma.

Apoptosis after traumatic brain injury

Apoptosis of neurons and glia contribute to the overall pathology of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in both humans and animals. In both head-injured humans and following experimental brain injury, apoptotic cells have been observed alongside degenerating cells exhibiting classic necrotic morphology. Neurons undergoing apoptosis have been identified within contusions in the acute port-traumatic period, and in regions remote from the site of impact in the days and weeks after trauma. Apoptotic oligodendrocytes and astrocytes have been observed within injured white matter tracts. We review the regional and temporal patterns of apoptosis following TBI and the possible mechanisms underlying trauma-induced apoptosis. While excitatory amino acids, increases in intracellular calcium, and free radicals can all cause cells to undergo apoptosis, in vitro studies have determined that neural cells can undergo apoptosis via many other pathways. It is generally accepted that a shift in the balance between pro- and anti-apoptotic protein factors towards the expression of proteins that promote death may be one mechanism underlying apoptotic cell death. The effect of TBI on regional cellular patterns of expression of survival promoting-proteins such as Bcl-2, Bcl-xL, and extracellular signal regulated kinases, and death-inducing proteins such as Bax, c-Jun N-terminal kinase, tumor-suppressor gene, p53, and the caspase family of proteases are reviewed. Finally, in light of pharmacologic strategies that have been devised to reduce the extent of apoptotic cell death in animal models of TBI, our review also considers whether apoptosis may serve a protective role in the injured brain.

Caspase pathways, neuronal apoptosis, and CNS injury

Caspases are a family of mammalian proteases related to the ced-3 gene of Caenorhabditis elegans. They mediate many of the morphological and biochemical features of apoptosis, including structural dismantling of cell bodies and nuclei, fragmentation of genomic DNA, destruction of regulatory proteins, and propagation of other pro-apoptotic molecules. Based on their substrate specificities and DNA sequence homologies, the 14 currently identified caspases may be divided into three groups: apoptotic initiators, apoptotic executioners, and inflammatory mediators. Caspases are activated through two principal pathways, known as the "extrinsic pathway," which is initiated by cell surface death receptor ligation, and the intrinsic pathway, which arises from mitochondria. Endogenous inhibitors, such as the inhibitors of apoptosis (IAP) family, modulate caspase activity at various points within these pathways. Upon activation, caspases appear to play an important role in sequelae of traumatic brain injury, spinal cord injury, and cerebral ischemia. In addition, they may also play a role in mediating cell death in chronic neurodegenerative conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Huntington's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This article reviews the current literature on the role of caspases in acute and chronic CNS injury, and provides evidence for the potential therapeutic use of caspase inhibitors in the setting of these conditions.

Review of current evidence for apoptosis after spinal cord injury

The initial mechanical tissue disruption of spinal cord injury (SCI) is followed by a period of secondary injury that increases the size of the lesion. The secondary injury has long been thought to be due to the continuation of cellular destruction through necrotic (or passive) cell death. Recent evidence from brain injury and ischemia suggested that cellular apoptosis, an active form of programmed cell death seen during development, could play a role in CNS injury in adulthood. Here, we review the evidence that apoptosis may be important in the pathophysiology of SCI. There is now strong morphological and biochemical evidence from a number of laboratories demonstrating the presence of apoptosis after SCI. Apoptosis occurs in populations of neurons, oligodendrocytes, microglia, and, perhaps, astrocytes. The death of oligodendrocytes in white matter tracts continues for many weeks after injury and may contribute to post-injury demyelination. The mediators of apoptosis after SCI are not well understood, but there is a close relationship between microglia and dying oligodendrocytes, suggesting that microglial activation may be involved. There is also evidence for the activation of important intracellular pathways known to be involved in apoptosis in other cells and systems. For example, some members of the caspase family of cysteine proteases are activated after SCI. It appears that the evolution of the lesion after SCI involves both necrosis and apoptosis. It is likely that better understanding of apoptosis after SCI will lead to novel strategies for therapeutic interventions that can diminish secondary injury.

Increased calpain expression is associated with apoptosis in rat spinal cord injury: calpain inhibitor provides neuroprotection

Calpain content was investigated in the lesion of rat spinal cord at 1, 4, 24, and 72 h following injury induced by the weight-drop (40 g-cm force) technique. Calpain content was increased in the lesion, and was highest at 24 h following injury. microCalpain mRNA level in the lesion was increased by 58.4% (p = 0.0135) at 24 h following trauma, compared to sham. Alterations in mRNA expression in the lesion increased bax/bcl-2 ratio by 20.8% (p = 0.0395) at this time point, indicating a commitment to apoptosis. Therapeutic effect of the calpain inhibitor E-64-d (1 mg/kg) was studied in SCI rats following administration for 24 h. Internucleosomal DNA fragmentation (apoptosis) was observed in SCI rats, but not in sham or E-64-d treated rats. These results indicate a new information that E-64-d has the therapeutic potential for inhibiting apoptosis in SCI.

E-64-d prevents both calpain upregulation and apoptosis in the lesion and penumbra following spinal cord injury in rats

Calpain, a Ca(2+)-dependent cysteine protease, has been implicated in cytoskeletal protein degradation and neurodegeneration in the lesion and adjacent areas following spinal cord injury (SCI). To attenuate apoptosis or programmed cell death (PCD) in SCI, we treated injured rats with E-64-d, a cell permeable and selective inhibitor of calpain. SCI was induced on T12 by the weight-drop (40 g-cm force) method. Within 15 min, E-64-d (1 mg/kg) in 1.5% DMSO was administered i.v. to the SCI rats. Following 24 h treatment, a 5-cm long spinal cord section with the lesion in the center was collected. The spinal cord section was divided equally into five 1-cm segments (S1: distant rostral, S2: near rostral, S3: lesion or injury, S4: near caudal and S5: distant caudal) for analysis. Determination of mRNA levels by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) indicated that ratios of bax/bcl-2 and calpain/calpastatin were increased in spinal cord segments from injured rats compared to controls. Degradation of the 68-kD neurofilament protein and internucleosomal DNA fragmentation were also increased. All of these changes were maximally increased in the lesion and gradually decreased in the adjacent areas of SCI rats, while largely undetectable in E-64-d treated rats and absent in sham controls. The results indicate that apoptosis in rat SCI appears to be associated with calpain activity which can be attenuated by the calpain inhibitor E-64-d.

Functional role of caspase-1 and caspase-3 in an ALS transgenic mouse model

Mutations in the copper/zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD1) gene produce an animal model of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fatal neurodegenerative disorder. To test a new therapeutic strategy for ALS, we examined the effect of caspase inhibition in transgenic mice expressing mutant human SOD1 with a substitution of glycine to alanine in position 93 (mSOD1(G93A)). Intracerebroventricular administration of zVAD-fmk, a broad caspase inhibitor, delays disease onset and mortality. Moreover, zVAD-fmk inhibits caspase-1 activity as well as caspase-1 and caspase-3 mRNA up-regulation, providing evidence for a non-cell-autonomous pathway regulating caspase expression. Caspases play an instrumental role in neurodegeneration in transgenic mSOD1(G93A) mice, which suggests that caspase inhibition may have a protective role in ALS.

Mechanisms of neurodegeneration after paediatric brain injury

Trauma to the developing brain constitutes an unexplored field. The few studies attempting to model and study paediatric head trauma, the leading cause of death and disability in the paediatric population, have revealed interesting aspects and potential targets for future research. One feature unique to the developing brain is overactivation by trauma of ongoing physiological programmed neuronal death (apoptosis). Understanding the underlying biochemical and molecular pathomechanisms may help set new pharmacotherapeutic targets for neuroprotection at an early age.

Intracerebral injection of caspase-3 inhibitor prevents neuronal apoptosis after kainic acid-evoked status epilepticus

In the aftermath of prolonged continuous seizure activity (status epilepticus, SE), neuronal cell death occurs in the brain regions through which the seizure propagates. Recent studies have implicated apoptotic processes in this seizure-related injury. Because activation of caspase-3-like cysteine proteases plays a crucial role in mammalian neuronal apoptosis, we explored the possibility that activation of caspase-3 is involved in the neuronal apoptotic cell death that occurs in rat brain following SE induced by systemic kainic acid. Caspase-3 activity was determined immunocytochemically using CM1 antibodies specific for catalytically active subunit (p17) of the enzyme. We found an induction of caspase-3 activity in rhinal cortex and amygdala at 24 h after SE. To determine whether activation of caspase-3-like proteases is a necessary component of the injury process, we delivered a caspase-3 inhibitor, z-DEVD-fmk, into the lateral ventricle prior to, and following SE. z-DEVD-fmk treatment substantially attenuated apoptotic cell death after SE, both in hippocampus and rhinal cortex, as evaluated by analysis of internucleosomal DNA fragmentation and neuronal nuclear morphology. Our findings implicate caspase-3 cysteine protease in the neurodegenerative response to SE and suggest that this degeneration can be attenuated by inhibition of caspase-3-like enzyme activity.

BDNF blocks caspase-3 activation in neonatal hypoxia-ischemia

Hypoxic-ischemic (H-I) injury to the brain in the perinatal period often leads to significant long-term neurological deficits. In a model of neonatal H-I injury in postnatal day 7 rats, our previous data have shown that cell death with features of apoptosis is prominent between 6 and 24 h after H-I and that neurotrophins, particularly BDNF, can markedly protect against tissue loss. During brain development, caspase-3 is required for normal levels of programmed cell death. Utilizing an antibody specific for the activated form of caspase-3, CM1, we now show that caspase-3 is specifically activated in neuronal cell bodies and their processes beginning at 6 h and peaking 24 h following unilateral carotid ligation and exposure to hypoxia in postnatal day 7 rats. Caspase-3 activation began to occur in cortex at 6 h and in striatum and hippocampus at 12-18 h. Caspase-3 activation was also observed in developing oligodendrocytes. Intracerebroventricular injection of BDNF prior to H-I injury almost completely abolished evidence of H-I-induced caspase-3 activation in vivo. Utilizing a specific molecular marker of an apoptotic pathway, these findings demonstrate that H-I injury to the developing brain is a strong apoptotic stimulus leading to caspase-3 activation, that BDNF can block this process in vivo, and that the ability of BDNF to inhibit caspase activation and subsequent apoptosis likely accounts in large part for its protection against neuronal injury in this model.

Apoptosis in human disease: a new skin for the old ceremony?

Naturally occurring cell death or apoptosis is essential for the maintenance of tissue homeostasis and serves to remove extraneous or dangerous cells in a swift and unobtrusive manner. Recent studies have indicated a role for apoptosis in a plethora of human diseases. Hence, dysregulation of apoptosis has been implicated in autoimmune disease, acquired immune deficiency syndrome, and other viral (and bacterial) infections, as well as in neurodegenerative disorders and cancer. Furthermore, dysregulated apoptosis signaling may impinge on other age-related disorders such as osteoporosis and atherosclerosis and perhaps on the process of aging itself. The present review provides an overview of human diseases, which are associated with defective or inadvertent apoptosis, with examples of pathological conditions in which putative apoptosis defects have been elucidated at the molecular level. Novel apoptosis-modulating therapeutic strategies are also discussed.