Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II immunoreactivity in the rat hippocampus after forebrain ischemia

Hypothermia enhances the colocalization of calmodulin kinase IIα with neuronal nitric oxide synthase in the hippocampus following cerebral ischemia

Hypothermia has been shown to have neuroprotective effects against neurotrauma and cerebrovascular disease. Cerebral ischemia induces the activation of calcium/calmodulin kinase II (CaM-KII), which modulates many enzymes. We have previously demonstrated that CaM-KIIα downregulates neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS) activity. However, precise details regarding the neuroprotective mechanism of hypothermia largely remain to be elucidated. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the neuroprotective mechanism of hypothermia, focusing on the association between CaM-KIIα and nNOS in CA1 hippocampus after focal cerebral ischemia in mice. The temperature was maintained at normothermia (36.5-37.5°C) or mild hypothermia (31.5-32.5°C) during these procedures. Focal cerebral ischemia induced significant dissociation of CaM-KIIα from nNOS in the CA1 hippocampus but not in the cerebral cortex under normothermia. Hypothermia did not change the expression of nNOS, but it significantly induced the colocalization of CaM-KIIα with nNOS in CA1 hippocampus immediately after cerebral ischemia. These results presumably result in the attenuation of nNOS activity and could contribute to the tolerance to post-ischemic damage. This effect could be one of the neuroprotective mechanisms of hypothermia.

Repeated cerebral ischemia induced hippocampal cell death and impairments of spatial cognition in the rat

We developed a method of causing strong ischemic insult only in vulnerable nerve cells, such as hippocampal cells, without causing hemiplegia or difficulty in moving, by repeating cerebral ischemia for a brief time with a short interval periods. The rats subjected to 10 min of cerebral ischemia exhibited no impairment of spatial cognition at the test trial 7 days after final reperfusion. However, when the 10 min ischemia was repeated twice with a 1 hr interval, the rats exhibited a significant decrease in number of correct choices and increase in number of errors. Three times of repeated cerebral ischemia also induced a significant decrease in the number of correct choices and increase in the number of errors, but there were some rats showing motor difficulty. Cell death was typically observed in the CA1 layer of the hippocampus of rats subjected twice to 10 min of cerebral ischemia. Hippocampal and cortical acetylcholine (ACh) release weas transiently increased during the first and second 10 minutes of ischemia and normalized immediately after recirculation; thereafter, ACh release from these areas gradually decreased and showed a significantly low level at 7 days after recirculation. These results suggest that the repeated cerebral ischemia-induced impairment of spatial memory may be due to the dysfunction of hippocampal and cortical ACh systems and hippocampal cell death. The repeated cerebral ischemia model which produces cell death and ACh dysfunction in the hippocampus is thought to be useful for evaluating new drugs for the treatment of cerebrovascular dementia.

Molecular mechanisms of ischemic neuronal injury

Brain ischemia triggers a complex cascade of molecular events that unfolds over hours to days. Identified mechanisms of postischemic neuronal injury include altered Ca(2+) homeostasis, free radical formation, mitochondrial dysfunction, protease activation, altered gene expression, and inflammation. Although many of these events are well characterized, our understanding of how they are integrated into the causal pathways of postischemic neuronal death remains incomplete. The primary goal of this review is to provide an overview of molecular injury mechanisms currently believed to be involved in postischemic neuronal death specifically highlighting their time course and potential interactions.

Altered mRNA expression for brain-derived neurotrophic factor and type II calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase in the hippocampus of patients with intractable temporal lobe epilepsy

The expression of brain-derived neurotrophic factor and the alpha subunit of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II mRNA in hippocampi obtained during surgical resections for intractable temporal lobe epilepsy were examined. Both calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and brain-derived neurotrophic factor are localized heavily within the hippocampus and have been implicated in regulating hippocampal activity (Kang and Schuman [1995] Science 267:1658-1662; Suzuki [1994] Intl J Biochem 26:735-744). Also, the autocrine and paracrine actions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor within the central nervous system make it a likely candidate for mediating morphologic changes typically seen in the epileptic hippocampus. Quantitative assessments of mRNA levels in epileptic hippocampi relative to autopsy controls were made by using normalized densitometric analysis of in situ hybridization. In addition, correlations between clinical data and mRNA levels were studied. Relative to autopsy control tissue, decreased hybridization to mRNA of the alpha subunit of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and increased hybridization to brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA were found throughout the granule cells of the epileptic hippocampus. There also was a significant negative correlation between the duration of epilepsy and the expression of mRNA for brain-derived neurotrophic factor. These results are similar qualitatively to those found in animal models of epilepsy and suggest that chronic seizure activity in humans leads to persistent alterations in gene expression. Furthermore, these alterations in gene expression may play a role in the etiology of the epileptic condition.

Calpain mediates eukaryotic initiation factor 4G degradation during global brain ischemia

Global brain ischemia and reperfusion result in the degradation of the eukaryotic initiation factor (eIF) 4G, which plays a critical role in the attachment of the mRNA to the ribosome. Because eIF-4G is a substrate of calpain, these studies were undertaken to examine whether calpain I activation during global brain ischemia contributes to the degradation of eIF-4G in vivo. Immunoblots with antibodies against calpain I and eIF-4G were prepared from rat brain postmitochondrial supernatant incubated at 37 degrees C with and without the addition of calcium and the calpain inhibitors calpastatin or MDL-28,170. Addition of calcium alone resulted in calpain I activation (as measured by autolysis of the 80-kDa subunit) and degradation of eIF-4G; this effect was blocked by either 1 micromol/L calpastatin or 10 micromol/L MDL-28,170. In rabbits subjected to 20 minutes of cardiac arrest, immunoblots of brain postmitochondrial supernatants showed that the percentage of autolyzed calpain I increased from 1.9% +/- 1.1% to 15.8% +/- 5.0% and that this was accompanied by a 68% loss of eIF-4G. MDL-28,170 pretreatment (30 mg/kg) decreased ischemia-induced calpain I autolysis 40% and almost completely blocked eIF-4G degradation. We conclude that calpain I degrades eIF-4G during global brain ischemia.

A comparison of changes in nucleotide-protein interactions in the striatal, hippocampus and paramedian cortex after cerebral ischemia and reperfusion: correlations to regional vulnerability

[32P]Azido-purine analogs of ATP and GTP were used to detect changes in phosphorylation and nucleotide binding induced by ischemia and subsequent reperfusion in rat brain striatum, hippocampus and paramedian cortex (PM cortex) tissues. Major changes in phosphorylation were observed for a 130-kDa protein, tentatively identified as the Ca2+ transport ATPase, and calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM Kinase II) in all tissues. However, recovery of the phosphorylation of the 130-kDa protein occurred only in the PM cortex on reperfusion. A 200-300% increase in [32P]8N3ATP photoinsertions was observed in the striatum and hippocampus regions for a 43-kDa protein with an isoelectric point of 6.8. This protein was identified as glutamine synthetase (GS) and the increase in binding was found to be due to both increased copy number and activation by Mn2+. An increase in [32P]8N3GTP photoinsertion into a 55-kDa protein, identified as the beta-subunit of tubulin, was found only in the striatum and hippocampus. This indicates the depolymerization of microtubulin in these tissues. These changes correlate to the vulnerability of the striatum and hippocampus to ischemia-induced neuronal death.

Transient cerebral ischemia decreases calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II immunoreactivity, but not mRNA levels in the gerbil hippocampus

During transient cerebral ischemia, intracellular calcium increases initiating a cascade of events which leads to the delayed death of neurons located in the hippocampus. Coupled to this calcium disturbance is the rapid decrease of calcium/calmodulin kinase II (CaM kinase) activity, a protein kinase critical to neuronal functioning. The present study correlated the increased locomotor activity following ischemic insult with alterations in CaM kinase mRNA levels and immunocytochemical labeling of alpha and beta CaM kinase subunits in the hippocampus. The protective effect of hypothermia was also compared with CaM kinase mRNA levels and immunoreactivity. Levels of CaM kinase message for either alpha or beta subunits was not altered in ischemic gerbils compared to sham or hypothermic ischemic conditions. Immunoreactivity for both the alpha and beta subunits was markedly reduced in the vulnerable CA1 region of ischemic animals compared to sham controls. Gerbils that underwent the ischemic insult while hypothermic showed no decrement in staining. CaM kinase-like immunoreactivity in the ischemia-resistant CA3 sector was not altered following ischemia. These data suggest that the loss of hippocampal CaM kinase immunoreactivity observed at 24 h following ischemia is not associated with a reduction in CaM kinase mRNA levels and support the notion that the rapid decline in CaM kinase activity following ischemic insult is a result of a posttranslational modification and/or translocation of the enzyme.

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and protein phosphatase 2B (calcineurin) immunoreactivity in the rat hippocampus long after ischemia

Calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (kinase II) and protein phosphatase 2B (calcineurin) immunoreactivity in the rat hippocampus was studied 100 days after ischemic damage to hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons. One-hundred days after ischemia, only a few CA1 pyramidal neurons survived and they exhibited enhanced kinase II and calcineurin immunoreactivity in their basal and apical dendrites. The stratum lucidum of the CA3 (mossy fiber terminal area) had enhanced kinase II and calcineurin immunoreactivity. These results suggest activity-dependent regulation and redistribution of kinase II and calcineurin after intervention in neuronal circuitry.

Effect of cerebral ischemia on calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II activity and phosphorylation

The effects of cerebral ischemia on calcium/calmodulin-dependent kinase II (CaM kinase II) were investigated using the rat four-vessel occlusion model. In agreement with previous results using rat or gerbil models of cerebral ischemia or a rabbit model of spinal cord ischemia, this report demonstrates that transient forebrain ischemia leads to a reduction in CaM kinase II activity within 5 min of occlusion onset. Loss of activity from the cytosol fractions of homogenates from the neocortex, striatum, and hippocampus correlated with a decrease in the amount of CaM kinase alpha and beta isoforms detected by immunoblotting. In contrast, there was an apparent increase in the amount of CaM kinase alpha and beta in the particulate fractions. The decrease in the amount of CaM kinase isoforms from the cytosol but not the particulate fractions was confirmed by autophosphorylation of CaM kinase II after denaturation and renaturation in situ of the blotted proteins. These results indicate that ischemia causes a rapid inhibition of CaM kinase II activity and a change in the partitioning of the enzyme between the cytosol and particulate fractions. CaM kinase II is a multifunctional protein kinase, and the loss of activity may play a critical role in initiating the changes leading to ischemia-induced cell death. To identify a structural basis for the decrease in enzyme activity, tryptic peptide maps of CaM kinase II phosphorylated in vitro were compared. Phosphopeptide maps of CaM kinase alpha from particulate fractions of control and ischemic samples revealed not only reduced incorporation of phosphate into the protein but also the absence of a limited number of peptides in the ischemic samples. This suggested that certain sites are inaccessible, possibly due to a conformational change, a covalent modification of CaM kinase II, or steric hindrance by an associated molecule. Verifying one of these possibilities should help to elucidate the mechanism of ischemia-induced modulation of CaM kinase II.

Purification and characterization of the Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II from chicken forebrain

CaM kinase II is known to be enriched in mammalian and avian brains. To determine the holoenzymic composition and functional characteristics of this kinase, a new approach for isolation was applied to isolate it from the chicken forebrain. Forebrains of hatched 45-d chicken were dissected, homogenized, and centrifuged. The supernatant was loaded onto a CaM-agarose affinity column and the calmodulin-binding proteins were eluted with EGTA. Selected eluates were loaded onto the antibody-agarose affinity column, which was prepared with monoclonal antibody (MAb) (6G9) to the CaM kinase II alpha subunit. Samples were subjected to SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and either silver-stained or blotted onto a nitrocellulose membrane. The protein composition and the immunoreactivity of the antibody-agarose affinity eluate fractions were analyzed with a densitometric scanner. Silver staining of gels showed that the beta subunit doublet, the beta' subunit, and a putative substrate were coeluted with the alpha subunit from the antibody affinity column although only the alpha subunit bound the 6G9 antibody. Scintillation counting showed that the autophosphorylation of the kinase was significantly reduced in the eluate from the antibody affinity column. Whereas silver staining indicated an increase in the relative amount of alpha subunit had occurred during purification, phosphorylation assays indicated an increase in the relative amount of the alpha subunit after the last purification step. A possible reason for this is discussed. The presence of beta/beta' subunits in the antibody-agarose affinity eluate indicated the existence of an alpha beta/beta' heteropolymer. The phosphorylation assay was not a good indication of the amount of purification because of the loss of enzyme activity following purification. In contrast, the immunoassay indicated a 97-fold purification from the cytosolic fraction was achieved using the method. In conclusion, the data indicate the existence of the CaM kinase II alpha beta/beta' heteropolymer in the chicken forebrain.

Neuroprotection with a calpain inhibitor in a model of focal cerebral ischemia

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Excessive elevation of intracellular calcium and uncontrolled activation of calcium-sensitive events are believed to play a central role in ischemic neuronal damage. Calcium-activated proteolysis by calpain is a candidate to participate in this form of pathology because it is activated under ischemic conditions and its activation results in the degradation of crucial cytoskeletal and regulatory proteins. The present studies examined the effects of a cell-penetrating inhibitor of calpain on the pathological outcome after transient focal ischemia in the brain.

METHODS

Twenty-five male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into four groups: a saline-treated group, a vehicle-treated group, and two calpain inhibitor-treated groups (Cbz-Val-Phe-H; 30-mg/kg and 60-mg/kg cumulative doses). Ischemia was induced by occluding the left middle cerebral artery and both common carotid arteries for 3 hours followed by reperfusion. Animals were killed 72 hours after surgery, and quantitative measurements of infarction volumes were performed using histological techniques. Eight additional rats were killed 30 minutes after ischemia and examined for the extent of proteolysis using immunoblot techniques. A final group of 12 animals was decapitated after injection of vehicle or calpain inhibitor, and the proteolytic response was measured after 60 minutes of total ischemia.

RESULTS

Rats treated with Cbz-Val-Phe-H exhibited significantly smaller volumes of cerebral infarction than saline-treated or vehicle-treated control animals. Intravenous injections of cumulative doses of 30 mg/kg or 60 mg/kg of Cbz-Val-Phe-H were effective in reducing infarction, edema, and calcium-activated proteolysis. The proteolytic response to postdecapitation ischemia was also reduced by the calpain inhibitor.

CONCLUSIONS

These results demonstrate the neuroprotective effect of a cell-penetrating calpain inhibitor when administered systemically. The findings suggest that targeting intracellular, calcium-activated mechanisms, such as proteolysis, represents a viable therapeutic strategy for limiting neurological damage after ischemia.

Comparison of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II purified from control and diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP)-treated hens

Diisopropyl phosphorofluoridate (DFP) produces type I organophosphorus ester-induced delayed neurotoxicity in humans and sensitive animal species. This is accompanied by enhanced Ca2+/CaM-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-kinase II) activity, and [125I]calmodulin binding to CaM-kinase II in DFP-treated hen brain supernatant without increase in the enzyme quantity. We have purified CaM-kinase II from control and DFP-treated hen whole brains and compared various physical and biochemical properties. The two enzymes exhibited similar properties in many respects. However, there was a decrease in calcium-independent protein kinase II activity after autophosphorylation, and an increase in K0.5 for free calcium and calmodulin of enzyme purified from DFP-treated hen brains. This change in kinetic parameters may result in greater percentage of total CaM-kinase II present in unphosphorylated form, which is consistent with the increased autophosphorylation of CaM-kinase II and [125I]calmodulin binding in the brain supernatant of DFP-treated hens.

Regulation of type-II calmodulin kinase: functional implications

Calmodulin-kinase II (CaM kinase) is a calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase which is highly enriched in the nervous system and mediates many of calcium's actions. Regulation of CaM kinase activity plays an important role in modulating synaptic transmission, synaptic plasticity and in neuropathology. Primary regulation of CaM kinase occurs via changes in intracellular calcium concentrations. Increased calcium stimulates protein kinase activity and induces autophosphorylation. Autophosphorylation of CaM kinase at specific sites results in altered activity and responsiveness to subsequent changes in calcium concentrations. Intracellular translocation of CaM kinase also appears to result from autophosphorylation. These mechanisms of regulation play an important role in synaptic plasticity (e.g., Aplysia ganglia), status epilepticus and cerebral ischemia. Long-lasting alterations in the expression of CaM kinase have been demonstrated in the kindling model of epilepsy and in monocular deprivation and therefore modulation of gene expression, in addition to autophosphorylation and translocation, appears to be another important mechanism of regulating CaM kinase activity.

Regulation and role of brain calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) exhibits a broad substrate specificity and regulates diverse responses to physiological changes of intracellular Ca2+ concentrations. Five isozymic subunits of the highly abundant brain kinase are encoded by four distinct genes. Expression of each gene is tightly regulated in a cell-specific and developmental manner. CaMKII immunoreactivity is broadly distributed within neurons but is discretely associated with a number of subcellular structures. The unique regulatory properties of CaMKII have attracted a lot of attention. Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent autophosphorylation of a specific threonine residue (alpha-Thr286) within the autoinhibitory domain generates partially Ca(2+)-independent CaMKII activity. Phosphorylation of this threonine in CaMKII is modulated by changes in intracellular Ca2+ concentrations in a variety of cells, and may prolong physiological responses to transient increases in Ca2+. Additional residues within the calmodulin-binding domain are autophosphorylated in the presence of Ca2+ chelators and block activation by Ca2+/calmodulin. This Ca(2+)-independent autophosphorylation is very rapid following prior Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent autophosphorylation at alpha-Thr286 and generates constitutively active, Ca2+/calmodulin-insensitive CaMKII activity. Ca(2+)-independent autophosphorylation of CaMKII also occurs at a slower rate when alpha-Thr286 is not autophosphorylated and results in inactivation of CaMKII. Thus, Ca(2+)-independent autophosphorylation of CaMKII generates a form of the kinase that is refractory to activation by Ca2+/calmodulin. CaMKII phosphorylates a wide range of neuronal proteins in vitro, presumably reflecting its involvement in the regulation of diverse functions such as postsynaptic responses (e.g. long-term potentiation), neurotransmitter synthesis and exocytosis, cytoskeletal interactions and gene transcription. Recent evidence indicates that the levels of CaMKII are altered in pathological states such as Alzheimer's disease and also following ischemia.

Role of calcium in inactivation of calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II after cerebral ischemia

Transient cerebral ischemia demonstrates an increase in activated oxygen species in the brain that could lead to eventual neuronal cell death. Neuronal cells respond to oxygen free radicals through the restructuring of the cytoskeleton and membranes, mobilization of calcium and gene expression which play a role in cell injury. Ten min of bilateral carotid artery occlusion resulted in a decrease in calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) phosphorylation and activity detected in the brain immediately following ischemia and was partially restored within 24 h of reperfusion. Pretreatment of animals with an anesthetic dose of pentobarbital (40 mg/kg) resulted in partial protection of inactivation of CaM kinase II following ischemia. CaM kinase II activity was maintained following pretreatment of animals with alpha-phenyl N-tert-butyl nitrone (PBN), which traps oxygen free radicals. Infusion of superoxide dismutase or catalase prior to ischemia, blocked CaM kinase II inactivation. Blockage of calcium uptake with bepridil resulted in a marked protection of CaM kinase II inactivation. In addition, trifluoperazine, a calmodulin antagonist also diminished the inhibition of CaM kinase II phosphorylation in our model. These results suggest that ischemia and reperfusion injury results in the generation of activated oxygen and the mobilization of calcium which inactivate CaM kinase II. These results indicate that changes associated with protein kinase activity in the brain following an ischemic insult may have profound effects upon neurodegeneration and neuronal survival.

Calcium/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II mRNA in the gerbil brain after cerebral ischemia

The effect of transient cerebral ischemia on the expression of Ca2+/calmodulin dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) mRNA in the gerbil brain was analyzed by Northern blots using cDNA clones for CaM kinase II. Ten minutes of bilateral carotid occlusion and 30 min of reperfusion resulted in reduced protein levels for alpha and beta subunits of the CaM kinase II, decreasing to 35% of control levels at 24 h. Recovery of immunoreactivity was detected in the cortex after 48 h. Eight to twelve hours after ischemia, the cortex showed a decrease in alpha and beta CaM kinase II mRNA levels. By 12-24 h of reperfusion the level of CaM kinase II mRNA was reduced to 26% of the control mRNA levels. CaM kinase II mRNA levels recovered by 48 h after ischemia, coinciding with the increase in CaM kinase II protein immunoreactivity. These results suggest that CaM kinase II is involved in neuronal survival through the reorganization of the neuroarchitecture and that the regulation of this role is controlled at the level of gene expression.

Global forebrain ischemia results in decreased immunoreactivity of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

Previous studies utilizing crude brain homogenates have shown that forebrain ischemia results in inhibition of calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) activity without large-scale proteolysis of the enzyme. In this report, a monoclonal antibody (1C3-3D6) directed against the beta- (60-kDa) subunit of CaM kinase II that does not recognize ischemically altered enzyme was utilized to further investigate the ischemia-induced inhibition of CaM kinase II. Immunohistochemical investigations showed that the ischemia-induced decreased immunoreactivity of CaM kinase II occurred immediately following ischemic insult in ischemia-sensitive cells such as pyramidal cells of the hippocampus. No decrease in CaM kinase II immunoreactivity was observed in ischemia-resistant cells such as granule cells of the dentate gyrus. The decreased immunoreactivity was observed for CaM kinase II balanced for protein staining and calmodulin binding in vitro. In addition, autophosphorylation of CaM kinase II in the presence of low (7 microM) or high (500 microM) ATP did not alter immunoreactivity of the enzyme with 1C3-3D6. The data demonstrate the production of a monoclonal antibody that recognizes the beta-subunit of CaM kinase II in a highly specific manner, but does not recognize ischemic enzyme. Together with previous studies, the data support the hypothesis that rapid, ischemia-induced inhibition of CaM kinase II activity may be involved in the cascade of events that lead to selective neuronal cell loss in stroke.

Alteration in the immunoreactivity of the calcineurin subunits after ischemic hippocampal damage

Dephosphorylation processes of target proteins are critical to the reversible regulation of intracellular signal transduction systems. Further, brain damage such as ischemic insult induces marked changes in protein kinase activity. To study these changes more thoroughly, specific monoclonal antibodies of the A and B subunits of calcineurin (protein phosphatase 2B) were raised, and regional alterations in the immunoreactivity of calcineurin in the rat hippocampus were investigated after a transient forebrain ischemic insult causing selective and delayed hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cell damage. In normal rats it was found that both the calcineurin A and the B subunits showed high immunoreactivity in the dendritic fields of the hippocampal formation. The immunoreactivity of subunit A in the strata oriens, the radiatum of the CA1 subfield and in the stratum lucidum of the CA3 subfield was most intense, whereas the immunoreactivity in the other CA3 subfields and in the dentate gyrus was relatively low. In contrast, the dendritic fields of the hippocampal formation were equally immunoreactive to calcineurin subunit B, although the stratum lucidum of the CA3, where the mossy fibers from the dentate granule cells terminate, showed a very high immunoreactivity of the B subunit. After transient forebrain ischemia in the CA1 subfield, where selective pyramidal cell death occurred two days after this ischemia, a marked loss of immunoreactivity in both subunits was observed, along with morphological pyramidal cell damage. A recovery of the immunoreactivity of A and B subunits in the strata oriens and radiatum was later noted 30 days after ischemia. In the stratum lucidum of the CA3, the immunoreactivity of both the A and B subunits was transiently depressed from 6 to 24 h, followed by a marked immunoreactivity enhancement from four to 30 days after ischemia. Further, in the histologically intact dentate gyrus, both the immunoreactivity of the A and B subunits in the molecular layer were transiently enhanced from four to 14 days after ischemia, particularly in the supragranular layer. The results clearly indicate that the protein dephosphorylation systems were markedly altered in the whole hippocampal formation during the recirculation period following ischemia. Further, the transient depression in the calcineurin immunoreactivity seen in the mossy fiber terminals may reflect modulated synaptic activity of the dentate granule cells, which may play a pivotal role in the delayed and selective death of the CA1 pyramidal cells. Thus, calcineurin appears to be an excellent marker enzyme for the detection of neuronal activity and synaptic plasticity after brain damage, such as an ischemic insult.

Ischemia-induced translocation of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II: potential role in neuronal damage

The activities of Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM)-dependent, Ca2+/phospholipid-dependent, and cyclic AMP-dependent protein kinases (CaM-KII, PKC, and PKA, respectively) were determined in rat brains after global ischemia. Both CaM-KII and PKC activities were significantly depressed in both hippocampal and cerebral cortical regions of ischemic animals, whereas no change was detected in PKA activity. The loss of CaM-KII activity was more dramatic and more sustained than the loss of PKC activity and correlated with the duration of ischemia. These decreases in enzyme activity were found in both supernatant and pellet fractions from crude homogenates. When the supernatant and pellet were analyzed for the amount of CaM-KII 50-kDa protein, a significant decrease was detected in supernatant fractions that paralleled a gain in the amount of CaM-KII in the pellet. Thus, the loss of CaM-KII activity in the supernatant can be explained by translocation of the enzyme to the pellet. Whether inactivation of CaM-KII occurs during or after the enzyme translocates from the supernatant to the pellet is unknown. Our results indicate that loss in CaM-KII activity parallels neuronal damage associated with ischemia; down-regulation of CaM-KII activity coincided with translocation of the enzyme to the particulate fraction, and it is proposed that this may be, in fact, a mechanism for controlling excessive CaM-KII phosphorylation.

Regional and temporal alterations in Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II and calcineurin in the hippocampus of rat brain after transient forebrain ischemia

We have investigated regional and temporal alterations in Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM kinase II) and calcineurin (Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphatase) after transient forebrain ischemia. Immunoreactivity and enzyme activity of CaM kinase II decreased in regions CA1 and CA3, and in the dentate gyrus, of the hippocampus early (6-12 h) after ischemia, but the decrease in immunoreactivity gradually recovered over time, except in the CA1 region. Furthermore, the increase in Ca2+/calmodulin-independent activity was detected up to 3 days after ischemia in all regions tested, suggesting that the concentration of intracellular Ca2+ increased. In contrast to CaM kinase II, as immunohistochemistry and regional immunoblot analysis revealed, calcineurin was preserved in the CA1 region until 1.5 days and then lost with the increase in morphological degeneration of neurons. Immunoblot analysis confirmed the findings of the immunohistochemistry. These results suggest that there is a difference between CaM kinase II and calcineurin in regional and temporal loss after ischemia and that imbalance of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein phosphorylation-dephosphorylation may occur.

Ischemia-induced loss of brain calcium/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II

Forebrain ischemia in gerbils, produced by brief bilateral carotid occlusion, induced the dramatic loss of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaM-kinase II) as determined by both kinase activity assays and western blot analysis. In cortex and hippocampus, cytosolic CaM-kinase II was completely lost within 2-5 min of ischemia. Particulate CaM-kinase II was more stable and decreased in level approximately 40% after 10 min of ischemia followed by 2 h of reperfusion. CaM-kinase II in cerebellum, which does not become ischemic, was not affected. The rapid loss of CaM-kinase II within 2-5 min was quite specific because cytosolic cyclic AMP kinase and protein kinase C in hippocampus were not affected. These data indicate that cytosolic CaM-kinase II is one of the most rapidly degraded proteins after brief ischemia. Because the multifunctional CaM-kinase II has been implicated in the regulation of numerous neuronal functions, its loss may destine the neuronal cell for death.

An immunohistochemical study of MAP2 and clathrin in gerbil hippocampus after cerebral ischemia

Changes in MAP2 and clathrin immunoreactivity were studied in gerbil hippocampus after transient cerebral ischemia. MAP2 immunoreactivity decreased significantly by 1 h in the subiculum-CA1 and CA2 areas which correspond to reactive change, while no decrease was observed in CA1 until day 4. Before the initiation of delayed neuronal death, MAP2 immunoreactivity was not changed in CA1. On the other hand clathrin immunoreactivity increased in the pyramidal cell layer of CA1 by 3 h after ischemia and remained high for 2 days. Clathrin immunoreactivity in the pyramidal cell layer of CA1 diminished after delayed neuronal death. The transient change of clathrin was noted especially in CA1 in the period prior to delayed neuronal death. These results imply an abnormal change in clathrin turnover after ischemia, which may participate in the pathogenesis of delayed neuronal death.