Pixel-based image analysis of HSP70, GADD45 and MAP2 mRNA expression after focal cerebral ischemia: hemodynamic and histological correlates

GADD45A: With or without you

The growth arrest and DNA damage inducible (GADD)45 family includes three small and ubiquitously distributed proteins (GADD45A, GADD45B, and GADD45G) that regulate numerous cellular processes associated with stress signaling and injury response. Here, we provide a comprehensive review of the current literature investigating GADD45A, the first discovered member of the family. We first depict how its levels are regulated by a myriad of genotoxic and non-genotoxic stressors, and through the combined action of intricate transcriptional, posttranscriptional, and even, posttranslational mechanisms. GADD45A is a recognized tumor suppressor and, for this reason, we next summarize its role in cancer, as well as the different mechanisms by which it regulates cell cycle, DNA repair, and apoptosis. Beyond these most well-known actions, GADD45A may also influence catabolic and anabolic pathways in the liver, adipose tissue and skeletal muscle, among others. Not surprisingly, GADD45A may trigger AMP-activated protein kinase activity, a master regulator of metabolism, and is known to act as a transcriptional coregulator of numerous nuclear receptors. GADD45A has also been reported to display a cytoprotective role by regulating inflammation, fibrosis and oxidative stress in several organs and tissues, and is regarded an important contributor for the development of heart failure. Overall data point to that GADD45A may play an important role in metabolic, neurodegenerative and cardiovascular diseases, and also autoimmune-related disorders. Thus, the potential mechanisms by which dysregulation of GADD45A activity may contribute to the progression of these diseases are also reviewed below.

Gadd45 in Neuronal Development, Function, and Injury

The growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible (Gadd) 45 proteins have been associated with numerous cellular mechanisms including cell cycle control, DNA damage sensation and repair, genotoxic stress, neoplasia, and molecular epigenetics. The genes were originally identified in in vitro screens of irradiation- and interleukin-induced transcription and have since been implicated in a host of normal and aberrant central nervous system processes. These include early and postnatal development, injury, cancer, memory, aging, and neurodegenerative and psychiatric disease states. The proteins act through a variety of molecular signaling cascades including the MAPK cascade, cell cycle control mechanisms, histone regulation, and epigenetic DNA demethylation. In this review, we provide a comprehensive discussion of the literature implicating each of the three members of the Gadd45 family in these processes.

GADD45A is a protective modifier of neurogenic skeletal muscle atrophy

Neurogenic muscle atrophy is the loss of skeletal muscle mass and function that occurs with nerve injury and in denervating diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Aside from prompt restoration of innervation and exercise where feasible, there are currently no effective strategies for maintaining skeletal muscle mass in the setting of denervation. We conducted a longitudinal analysis of gene expression changes occurring in atrophying skeletal muscle and identified growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible A (Gadd45a) as a gene that shows one of the earliest and most sustained increases in expression in skeletal muscle after denervation. We evaluated the role of this induction using genetic mouse models and found that mice lacking GADD45A showed accelerated and exacerbated neurogenic muscle atrophy, as well as loss of fiber type identity. Our genetic analyses demonstrate that, rather than directly contributing to muscle atrophy as proposed in earlier studies, GADD45A induction likely represents a protective negative feedback response to denervation. Establishing the downstream effectors that mediate this protective effect and the pathways they participate in may yield new opportunities to modify the course of muscle atrophy.

Dexamethasone prevents motor deficits and neurovascular damage produced by shiga toxin 2 and lipopolysaccharide in the mouse striatum

Shiga toxin 2 (Stx2) from enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) causes bloody diarrhea and Hemolytic Uremic Syndrome (HUS) that may derive to fatal neurological outcomes. Neurological abnormalities in the striatum are frequently observed in affected patients and in studies with animal models while motor disorders are usually associated with pyramidal and extra pyramidal systems. A translational murine model of encephalopathy was employed to demonstrate that systemic administration of a sublethal dose of Stx2 damaged the striatal microvasculature and astrocytes, increase the blood brain barrier permeability and caused neuronal degeneration. All these events were aggravated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). The injury observed in the striatum coincided with locomotor behavioral alterations. The anti-inflammatory Dexamethasone resulted to prevent the observed neurologic and clinical signs, proving to be an effective drug. Therefore, the present work demonstrates that: (i) systemic sub-lethal Stx2 damages the striatal neurovascular unit as it succeeds to pass through the blood brain barrier. (ii) This damage is aggravated by the contribution of LPS which is also produced and secreted by EHEC, and (iii) the observed neurological alterations may be prevented by an anti-inflammatory treatment.

Epigenetic mechanisms of neuroplasticity and the implications for stroke recovery

Ischemic stroke is a devastating brain injury and an important cause of neurologic disability worldwide and across the lifespan. Despite the physical, social, and economic burdens of this disease there is only a single approved medicine for the treatment of acute stroke, and its use is unfortunately limited to the small fraction of patients presenting within the narrow therapeutic window. Following stroke, there is a period of plasticity involving cell genesis, axon growth, and synaptic modulation that is essential to spontaneous recovery. Treatments focusing on neuroprotection and enhancing recovery have been the focus of intense preclinical studies, but translation of these treatments into clinical use has been disappointing thus far. The important role of epigenetic mechanisms in disease states is becoming increasingly apparent, including in ischemic stroke. These regulators of gene expression are poised to be critical mediators of recovery following stroke. In this review we discuss evidence for the role of epigenetics in neuroplasticity and the implications for stroke recovery.

GADD45A protects against cell death in dorsal root ganglion neurons following peripheral nerve injury

A significant loss of neurons in the dorsal root ganglia (DRG) has been reported in animal models of peripheral nerve injury. Neonatal sensory neurons are more susceptible than adult neurons to axotomy- or nerve growth factor (NGF) withdrawal-induced cell death. To develop therapies for preventing irreversible sensory cell loss, it is essential to understand the molecular mechanisms responsible for DRG cell death and survival. Here we describe how the expression of the growth arrest- and DNA damage-inducible gene 45α (GADD45A) is correlated with neuronal survival after axotomy in vivo and after NGF withdrawal in vitro. GADD45A expression is low at birth and does not change significantly after spinal nerve ligation (SNL). In contrast, GADD45A is robustly up-regulated in the adult rat DRG 24 hr after SNL, and this up-regulation persists as long as the injured fibers are prevented from regenerating. In vitro delivery of GADD45A protects neonatal rat DRG neurons from NGF withdrawal-induced cytochrome c release and cell death. In addition, in vivo knockdown of GADD45A expression in adult injured DRG by small hairpin RNA increased cell death. Our results indicate that GADD45A protects neuronal cells from SNL-induced cell death.

Hypoxic-ischemic changes in SIDS brains as demonstrated by a reduction in MAP2-reactive neurons

Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) is characterized by a lack of any known morphological or functional organ changes that could explain the lethal process. In the present study we investigated the hypothesis of an association between hypoxic/ischemic injury and SIDS deaths. In a previous study, we could demonstrate by quantitative immunohistochemistry a distinct drop in microtubule-associated protein (MAP2) reactivity in neurons of adult, human brains secondary to acute hypoxic-ischemic injuries. Here we applied the same method on sections of the frontal cortex and hippocampus of 41 brains of infants younger than 1 year of age. For each brain area 100 selected neurons were evaluated for their MAP2 reactivity in the different layers of the frontal cortex and in the different segments of the hippocampus. Three groups were compared: (1) SIDS victims (n = 17), (2) infants with hypoxia/ischemia (control group one; n = 14), (3) infants without hypoxic/ischemic injury (control group two; n = 10). The SIDS group and hypoxic/ischemic group exhibited a general reduction in the number of MAP2 reactive neurons in comparison with the non-hypoxic/ischemic injury group. The SIDS group also had a significantly lower (P < 0.05) number of reactive neurons in the CA2 and CA3 areas of the hippocampus than did control group two. No difference was detected between the SIDS group and control group one. The SIDS brains were thus found to display hypoxic/ischemic features without however providing evidence as to the cause of the oxygen reduction.

Relationship between differentially expressed genes and epigenetic modification during the early stage of esophageal carcinoma induced by nitrosamine

AIM: To detect the differentially expressed genes in the process of esophageal carcinoma induced by nitrosamine, and analyze the property of gene expression at different stages, especially the relationship between differentially expressed genes and DNA methylation.

METHODS: One hundred and ten mice were randomly divided into group A (n = 40) and B (n = 70). The mice in group A were fed with distilled water, while those in group B were fed with carcinoma-inducing mixture containing 20 g/L sodium nitrite and 200 g/L N, N-dimethyl benzyl amine. At the 4, 8, and 20 wk of induction stages, the total RNA from esophageal tissues was isolated and reversely transcripted, and then hybridization with gene-chip was performed. The differentially expressed genes of the two groups were analyzed.

RESULTS: During the process of induction, the number of up-regulated oncogenes increased in a step-by-step fashion in group B as compared with that in group A, and the phase-specificity of oncogenes was observed. But most antioncogenes did not change remarkably. Most genes of DNA methylation did not change at 4 wk, but were up-regulated at 8 and 20 wk. The DNA demethylation gene Mdb2b was up-regulated from the 8 wk, but Gadd45a was up-regulated from the 4 wk and maintained a high level at 8 and 20 wk. Genes of histone acetylation, which were changed obviously, were not found.

CONCLUSION: During the process of nitrosamine-induced esophageal carcinoma, up-regulation of numerous genes may associate with the demethylation of genomic DNA at the early stage. Gadd45a may be involved in the demethylation during the early weeks.

Differentially expressed genes in hypertensive rats developing cerebral ischemia

The molecular events occurring after cerebral ischemia in hypertension may include de novo expression of numerous genes. Receptor genes are predominantly involved in the process of cell death, neuroprotection and reconstruction after ischemic injury. Ischemic stroke was observed in the non-genetic, non-surgical model of hypertension, the cold-induced hypertensive rat. In hypertensive rats suppression subtractive hybridization analysis was used to identify differentially expressed receptor genes in stroke-tissue compared to normal rat brain. We found 76 genes predominantly expressed in hypertensive rat stroke-tissue. These predominantly expressed genes included genes involved in energy metabolism, signal transduction/cell regulation, and replication/transcription/translation. For example, the T3 receptor alpha was predominantly expressed in stroke-tissue, indicating that regeneration of nerves in stroke tissue may be facilitated by increased T3 receptor alpha expression.

Selective up-regulation of the growth arrest DNA damage-inducible gene Gadd45 alpha in sensory and motor neurons after peripheral nerve injury

The growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible gene 45 alpha (Gadd45a) was one of 240 genes found previously by high density oligonucleotide microarray analysis to be regulated in the rat L4 and L5 dorsal root ganglia 3 days after transection of the sciatic nerve (>four-fold up-regulation). The Gadd45a mRNA expression profile investigated by northern blot, RNase protection assay and in situ hybridization in the rat shows negligible constitutive mRNA levels in embryonic, neonatal or adult intact dorsal root ganglia. Within 24 h of a sciatic nerve injury, a very large induction is found that persists for as long as regeneration of injured fibres is prevented by peripheral nerve ligation. When axons are allowed to regrow following sciatic nerve crush injury, Gadd45a expression is terminated at later time points, when levels of other markers of injury return towards normal. Colocalization with activating transcription factor 3-LI and c-jun mRNA implies that all peripherally injured primary sensory and motor neurons express Gadd45a mRNA. Injury to the central axons of dorsal root ganglion neurons produces only a minimal induction of Gadd45a while peripheral inflammation is without effect. Gadd45a is a specific marker of the presence of peripheral axonal injury in adult primary sensory and motor neurons.

Adventures in the pathophysiology of brain ischemia: penumbra, gene expression, neuroprotection: the 2002 Thomas Willis Lecture

BACKGROUND

The pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia is well studied in small-animal models, which offer reproducibility and control of confounding variables-factors essential to hypothesis-testing. This presentation first highlights insights into the ischemic penumbra enabled by a multimodal experimental approach; second, discusses gene expression in ischemia; and third, confronts the challenges of neuroprotectant therapy.

SUMMARY OF REVIEW

The ischemic penumbra: Transient (2-hour) middle cerebral artery suture-occlusion in anesthetized rats gives rise to highly consistent neurological and histopathological sequelae. Autoradiographic local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) studies at 2 hours of occlusion define the penumbra as a region of intermediate CBF depression (20% to 40% of control) surrounding the densely ischemic core (5% to 20% of control) and constituting one half of the entire lesion. Local glucose metabolic rate in the acute penumbra is not reduced despite the critical CBF reduction, so that the penumbral metabolism/blood flow ratio is markedly elevated. In contrast, following 1 hour of recirculation, glucose metabolism throughout the previously ischemic hemisphere has become markedly depressed, and the metabolism/flow ratio has pseudonormalized. By correlating these data with histopathology using multimodal image analysis, the probability of infarction is shown to be highly determined by the degree of antecedent CBF reduction. These animal data agree strikingly with published results in patients with acute stroke studied by positron emission tomography. This remarkable correspondence belies the assertion that data from lower species may not be relevant to human stroke. Gene expression: Perfusion gradients also determine differential patterns of gene expression in ischemia. This can be demonstrated by correlating in situ hybridization autoradiographs for gene expression with autoradiographic LCBF data and histological infarct maps derived from replicate series. In other studies, DNA microarray technology is used to screen for thousands of expressed genes. In the 2-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion model with 3-hour recirculation, we have identified 28 known ischemia-hypoxia response genes that are upregulated and 6 that are downregulated, together with 35 upregulated and 41 downregulated genes newly connected with ischemia. These findings underscore the enormous complexity of ischemic biology and suggest possible novel mechanisms for future exploration. NEUROPROTECTION: A desirable neuroprotectant would, in theory, antagonize multiple injury mechanisms. We have explored 2 such therapies of particular promise. Mild brain hypothermia (32 degrees C target temperature, for 5 hours) is highly neuroprotective even when initiated at the onset of recirculation. Another highly protective agent is human albumin, administered in doses of 1.25 to 2.5 g/kg--a therapy that reduces infarct volume in this ischemia model by 60% to 65%, markedly diminishes brain swelling, and has a therapeutic window extending to 4 hours.

CONCLUSION

The careful study of rodent ischemia models can yield valuable, clinically relevant insights into the pathophysiology of ischemic stroke.

Automated registration of laser Doppler perfusion images by an adaptive correlation approach: application to focal cerebral ischemia in the rat

Hemodynamic changes are extremely important in analyzing responses from a brain subjected to a stimulus or treatment. The Laser Doppler technique has emerged as an important tool in neuroscience research. This non-invasive method scans a low-power laser beam in a raster pattern over a tissue surface to generate the time course of images in unit of relative flux changes. Laser Doppler imager (LDI) records cerebral perfusion not only in the temporal but also in the spatial domain. The traditional analysis of LD images has been focused on the region-of-interest (ROI) approach, in which the analytical accuracy in an experiment that necessitates a relative repositioning between the LDI and the scanned tissue area will be weakened due to the operator's subjective decision in data collecting. This report describes a robust image registration method designed to obviate this problem, which is based on the adaptive correlation approach. The assumption in mapping corresponding pixels in two images is to correlate the regions in which these pixels are centered. Based on this assumption, correlation coefficients are calculated between two regions by a method in which one region is moved around over the other in all possible combinations. To avoid ambiguity in distinguishing maximum correlation coefficients, an adaptive algorithm is adopted. Correspondences are then used to estimate the transformation by linear regression. We used a pair of phantom LD images to test this algorithm. A reliability test was also performed on each of the 15 sequential LD images derived from an actual experiment by imposing rotation and translation. The result shows that the calculated transformation parameters (rotation: theta =7.7+/-0.5 degrees; translation: Delta x =2.8+/-0.3, Deltaŷ=4.7+/-0.4) are very close to the prior-set parameters (rotation: theta=8 degrees; translation: Delta x=3, Delta y=5). This result indicates that this approach is a valuable adjunct to LD perfusion monitoring. An original sequence of LD images that recorded cerebral perfusion through a cranial window before, during and after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) is presented, together with the registered image sequence. Cerebral perfusion data acquired in a pixel-based manner from different anatomic locations of the registered LD image sequence are also presented over the whole time-course of the experiment.

Transcripts of damaged genes in the brain during cerebral oxidative stress

Recent studies using ischemia/reperfusion models of brain injury suggest that there is a period of time during which the formation of oxidative DNA lesions (ODLs) exceeds removal. This interval is a window of opportunity in which to study the effect of gene damage on gene expression in the brain, because the presence of excessive ODLs mimics a deficiency in gene repair, which has been shown to be associated with neurological disorders. Evidence from studies using similar models indicates that expression of faulty transcripts from ODL-infested genes and non-sense mutation in repaired genes occur before the process of cell death. Preventing the formation of ODLs and enhancing ODL repair are shown to increase the expression of intact transcripts and attenuate cell death. Understanding this mechanism could lead to the development of therapeutic techniques (physiologic, pharmacological, and/or genomic) that can enhance recovery.

DNA microarray analysis of cortical gene expression during early recirculation after focal brain ischemia in rat

Focal brain ischemia is followed by changes in gene expression as reflected by altered mRNA levels. DNA microarray analysis can be used to survey thousands of genes for differential expression triggered by ischemic metabolic stress. In this study, Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to 2 h of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) using an intravascular poly-L-lysine-coated filament, and brains were removed after 3 h of recirculation for mRNA isolation. A differential measurement of mRNAs from post-ischemic and sham control animals was performed using the Mouse UniGene 1 microarray. Established values for differential expression were used (> or =1.7 or < or =-1.7 fold), and hits (n=2-3 arrays) divided into known 'ischemia-hypoxia response' genes and 'newly connected' annotated genes. n=28 ischemia-hypoxia response genes were up-regulated and n=6 were down-regulated. Regulated genes comprised immediate early genes, heat shock proteins, anti-oxidative enzymes, trophic factors, and genes involved in RNA metabolism, inflammation and cell signaling. Based on the ability of the microarray to replicate known changes in gene expression, n=35 newly connected genes were found up-regulated and n=41 down-regulated. DNA microarray analysis allows one to develop novel working hypotheses for responses to brain ischemia based on the regulation of annotated genes.

The quantification of gene expression in an animal model of brain ischaemia using TaqMan real-time RT-PCR

Expression levels of mRNA are commonly measured as a ratio of test to reference gene. The assumption is that reference genes such as beta-actin or cyclophilin are unaffected by treatment and act as steady-state controls. TaqMan real-time RT-PCR was used to test these assumptions in a rat model of cerebral ischaemia (tMCAO). Following measurement of 24 genes, we show that reference genes in this animal model fail the criteria for steady-state controls. Neuronal loss, glial proliferation and an influx of leukocytes into the lesioned brain result in major disturbance to cell populations. The mRNA for reference genes, as for test genes, reflects these changes. Specific mRNA levels vary according to the choice of reference gene to which they are normalised. In the process of resolving reference gene issues, mRNA increases were discovered for leukaemia inhibitory factor, nestin and galanin in rat brain hemispheres affected by ischaemia. Results are reported for a further 21 genes and mathematical and statistical methods are described that allow in this study fraction-fold changes in mRNA to be detected.

Genomic responses of the brain to ischemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, kainate seizures, hypoglycemia, and hypoxia

RNA expression profiles in rat brain were examined 24 h after ischemic stroke, intracerebral haemorrhage, kainate-induced seizures, insulin-induced hypoglycemia, and hypoxia and compared to sham- or untouched controls. Rat oligonucleotide microarrays were used to compare expression of over 8000 transcripts from three subjects in each group (n = 27). Of the somewhat less than 4000 transcripts called 'present' in normal or treated cortex, 5-10% of these were up-regulated 24 h after ischemia (415), haemorrhage (205), kainate (187), and hypoglycemia (302) with relatively few genes induced by 6 h of moderate (8% oxygen) hypoxia (15). Of the genes induced 24 h after ischemia, haemorrhage, and hypoglycemia, approximately half were unique for each condition suggesting unique components of the responses to each of the injuries. A significant component of the responses involved immune-process related genes likely to represent responses to dying neurons, glia and vessels in ischemia; to blood elements in haemorrhage; and to the selectively vulnerable neurons that die after hypoglycemia. All of the genes induced by kainate were also induced either by ischemia, haemorrhage or hypoglycemia. This strongly supports the concept that excitotoxicity not only plays an important role in ischemia, but is an important mechanism of brain injury after intracerebral haemorrhage and hypoglycemia. In contrast, there was only a single gene that was down-regulated by all of the injury conditions suggesting there is not a common gene down-regulation response to injury.

Hypothermic protection of the ischemic heart via alterations in apoptotic pathways as assessed by gene array analysis

Hypothermia improves resistance to ischemia in the cardioplegia-arrested heart. This adaptive process produces changes in specific signaling pathways for mitochondrial proteins and heat-shock response. To further test for hypothermic modulation of other signaling pathways such as apoptosis, we used various molecular techniques, including cDNA arrays. Isolated rabbit hearts were perfused and exposed to ischemic cardioplegic arrest for 2 h at 34 degrees C [ischemic group (I); n = 13] or at 30 degrees C before and during ischemia [hypothermic group (H); n = 12]. Developed pressure, the maximum first derivative of left ventricular pressure, oxygen consumption, and pressure-rate product (P < 0.05) recovery were superior in H compared with in I during reperfusion. mRNA expression for the mitochondrial proteins, adenine translocase and the beta-subunit of F1-ATPase, was preserved by hypothermia. cDNA arrays revealed that ischemia altered expression of 13 genes. Hypothermia modified this response to ischemia for eight genes, six related to apoptosis. A marked, near fivefold increase in transformation-related protein 53 in I was virtually abrogated in H. Hypothermia also increased expression for the anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 homologue Bcl-x relative to I but decreased expression for the proapoptotic Bcl-2 homologue bak. These data imply that hypothermia modifies signaling pathways for apoptosis and suggest possible mechanisms for hypothermia-induced myocardial protection.

Regulation of Gadd45a mRNA expression in vascular smooth muscle under growth and stress conditions

In order to identify differentially expressed genes under growth conditions, quiescent vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) were stimulated with foetal calf serum (FCS) or platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) for different time periods. Analysing the gene expression by the differential display (DD) method, we identified the cDNA of the growth arrest and DNA damage inducible gene 45a (Gadd45a, also known as gadd45 and gadd45a). Treatment with FCS or PDGF-BB led to a transient down-regulating of Gadd45a expression during the G0/G1 phase and maximal expression when cells had completed division. We found that expression of p53 and BRCA1 mRNA precedes Gadd45a mRNA expression with a maximal induction in the S phase. As in smooth muscle cells, a similar pattern of the Gadd45a mRNA expression was observed in knockout Gadd45a(-/-) cultured mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs). However, no differences between Gadd45a(+/+) and Gadd45a(-/-) cell lines were observed regarding their kinetics of cell division. These experiments suggest a function of Gadd45a when cells exit the cell cycle rather than when regulating the entry into the S phase.

Reversal of early diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities does not necessarily reflect tissue salvage in experimental cerebral ischemia

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) can detect early ischemic changes and is sometimes used as a surrogate neurological end point in clinical trials. Recent experimental stroke studies have shown that with brief periods of ischemia, some DWI lesions transiently reverse, only to recur later. This study examined the histological condition of the tissue during the period of DWI reversal.

METHODS

Rats underwent 30 minutes of middle cerebral artery occlusion followed by reperfusion. DWI images were obtained during ischemia and 3 to 5 hours, 1 day, and 7 days later. MRI scans were compared with histology (5 hours, n=5; 7 days, n=5) with the use of neuronal (microtubule-associated protein 2 [MAP2]) and astrocytic (glial fibrillary acidic protein [GFAP]) markers and heat-shock protein 72 (HSP72).

RESULTS

DWI abnormalities reversed 3 to 5 hours after ischemia onset but recurred at 1 day. Four animals showed complete reversal of the initial DWI hyperintensity, and 6 showed partial reversal. When the 5-hour DWI was completely normal, there was significant loss of MAP2 immunoreactivity, comprising approximately 30% of the initial DWI lesion. However, GFAP staining revealed morphologically normal astrocytes. HSP72 immunoreactivity at 5 hours was extensive and corresponded to the initial DWI lesion.

CONCLUSIONS

After brief ischemic periods, normalization of the DWI does not necessarily imply that the tissue is normal. Neurons already exhibit evidence of structural damage and stress. Normal GFAP staining suggests that other nonneuronal cell populations may partially compensate for altered fluid balances at the time of DWI reversal despite the presence of neuronal injury. These observations suggest that caution is warranted when relying solely on DWI for assessment of ischemic damage.

Simultaneous measurement of cerebral blood flow and mRNA signals: pixel-based inter-modality correlational analysis

The analysis of pixel-based relationships between local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) and mRNA expression can reveal important insights into brain function. Traditionally, LCBF and in situ hybridization studies for genes of interest have been analyzed in separate series. To overcome this limitation and to increase the power of statistical analysis, this study focused on developing a double-label method to measure local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) and gene expressions simultaneously by means of a dual-autoradiography procedure. A 14C-iodoantipyrine autoradiographic LCBF study was first performed. Serial brain sections (12 in this study) were obtained at multiple coronal levels and were processed in the conventional manner to yield quantitative LCBF images. Two replicate sections at each bregma level were then used for in situ hybridization. To eliminate the 14C-iodoantipyrine from these sections, a chloroform-washout procedure was first performed. The sections were then processed for in situ hybridization autoradiography for the probes of interest. This method was tested in Wistar rats subjected to 12 min of global forebrain ischemia by two-vessel occlusion plus hypotension, followed by 2 or 6 h of reperfusion (n=4-6 per group). LCBF and in situ hybridization images for heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) were generated for each rat, aligned by disparity analysis, and analyzed on a pixel-by-pixel basis. This method yielded detailed inter-modality correlation between LCBF and HSP70 mRNA expressions. The advantages of this method include reducing the number of experimental animals by one-half; and providing accurate pixel-based correlations between different modalities in the same animals, thus enabling paired statistical analyses. This method can be extended to permit correlation of LCBF with the expression of multiple genes of interest.

Stroke genomics: approaches to identify, validate, and understand ischemic stroke gene expression

Sequencing of the human genome is nearing completion and biologists, molecular biologists, and bioinformatics specialists have teamed up to develop global genomic technologies to help decipher the complex nature of pathophysiologic gene function. This review will focus on differential gene expression in ischemic stroke. It will discuss inheritance in the broader stroke population, how experimental models of spontaneous stroke might be applied to humans to identify chromosomal loci of increased risk and ischemic sensitivity, and also how the gene expression induced by stroke is related to the poststroke processes of brain injury, repair, and recovery. In addition, we discuss and summarise the literature of experimental stroke genomics and compare several approaches of differential gene expression analyzes. These include a comparison of representational difference analysis we have provided using an experimental stroke model that is representative of stroke evolution observed most often in man, and a summary of available data on stroke differential gene expression. Issues regarding validation of potential genes as stroke targets, the verification of message translation to protein products, the relevance of the expression of neuroprotective and neurodestructive genes and their specific timings, and the emerging problems of handling novel genes that may be discovered during differential gene expression analyses will also be addressed.

Aggravation of brain injury after transient focal ischemia in p53-deficient mice

The transcriptional factor p53 is a regulatory protein which contributes to the preservation of tissue integrity by promoting either DNA repair or apoptosis. To establish the pathophysiological role of this protein in ischemia, we produced 1 h transient middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in normal and in p53-deficient mice and investigated the resulting tissue damage by multiparametric imaging. Possible genetic influences on the angioarchitecture of the MCA territory and blood flow were examined by intravascular latex infusion and laser-Doppler flowmetry. Wild-type (p53(+/+)), heterozygous (p53(+/-)) and homozygous (p53(-/-)) mice deficient for the p53 gene did not differ in respect to angioarchitecture or the effect of vascular occlusion on blood flow and general physiological parameters. Twenty-four hours after 1 h MCA occlusion, mice revealed a gene dose-dependent decline in the size of metabolic disturbances (ATP depletion and inhibition of protein synthesis) and histological injury (Cresyl Violet staining). DNA fragmentations detected by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated UTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) did not differ in the three groups and were only present in ATP-depleted tissue. Our findings suggest that after transient focal brain ischemia p53 prevents rather than aggravates brain injury, and that this effect is brought about by mechanisms that are unrelated to the pro-apoptotic properties of this gene.

Differential changes of bax, caspase-3 and p21 mRNA expression after transient focal brain ischemia in the rat

Recent studies of transient focal ischemia have focused interest on apoptotic mechanisms of neuronal cell death involving constitutive pro-apoptotic proteins. The finding of specific patterns of novel gene expression might indicate the activation of pro-apoptotic genes in previously ischemic areas. Thus, we investigated gene expression for the pro-apoptotic regulators, Bax and caspase-3, after transient focal brain ischemia, together with the p53-regulated cell cycle inhibitor, p21/WAF1/CIP1. Reversible occlusion of the middle cerebral artery for 2 h was carried out in halothane-anesthetized rats using the poly-L-lysine coated filament method. In situ hybridization was performed at 0, 1, 3, 6 h and 1, 3 and 7 d of recirculation and in sham controls. Radioactive antisense probes served for detection of bax, p21 and caspase-3 mRNAs on brain sections, and quantitative film autoradiography was combined with image-averaging techniques. Bax mRNA tended to decline after focal brain ischemia within 1 d. p21 mRNA was upregulated with a perifocal pattern at 3 h and 1 d after ischemia whereas the ischemic regions themselves failed to show significant upregulation. Caspase-3 mRNA was elevated in the resistant dorsomedial cortex at 1 d. A pro-apoptotic pattern of novel gene expression, involving Bax and caspase-3, was not observed after transient focal brain ischemia. Rather, the perifocal expression of p21 and caspase-3 mRNAs observed at 1 d after ischemia points to reactive changes in resistant brain areas.

Persistent CREB phosphorylation with protection of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons following temporary occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in the rat

Phosphorylation of the DNA-binding transcription factor, cyclic AMP response element binding protein (CREB), was immunohistochemically examined in rat brain hippocampal CA1 in order to examine the ischemic vulnerability of this region from the viewpoint of CREB activation. The rat brain had been subjected to 90-min focal ischemia followed by various periods of recirculation. Focal ischemia was induced by occlusion of the middle cerebral artery using the intraluminal suture method. CA1 pyramidal neurons in the sham animals showed definite immunoreactivity with anti-CREB antibody, which binds to both unphosphorylated and phosphorylated CREB, while reactivity with anti-phosphorylated CREB antibody was barely detectable in these neurons. In contrast, at 3.5 h of recirculation, a significant increase in the number of phosphorylated CREB-positive neurons was noted in the CA1 on both sides, and the increase continued until 48 h of recirculation with a tendency for gradual decline. At each period, the ischemic side showed a more marked increase in the number of immunoreactive cells as compared to the nonischemic side. Cresyl violet staining revealed CA1 pyramidal neurons to be maintained intact until 14 day of recirculation, at which time CREB phosphorylation has returned to the control level. Transient global ischemia is known to induce only mild CREB phosphorylation in the CA1 followed by a frank neuronal loss in this region. These data suggest that CREB phosphorylation can be persistently activated in CA1 neurons after focal ischemia and that this phenomenon may be closely associated with protection of these neurons.

Quantitation of multiple gene expression by in situ hybridization autoradiography: accurate normalization using Bayes classifier

In the method of in situ hybridization autoradiography, quantitative comparisons among multiple mRNA signals have proven difficult for many reasons, attributable both to technical factors (e.g. different probe specific activities) as well as to large differences in the patterns and levels of expression of different genes in pathologic states. Here we report a standardized normalization procedure for in situ hybridization autoradiography, employing a Bayes classifier, which permits the comparison of multiple mRNA probes. Autoradiograms of different probes in individual animals are first digitized and converted to units of radioactivity. Next, pixel-distribution histograms are generated for each mRNA signal. The Bayes classifier is then used to establish an optimal threshold to distinguish activated and non-activated pixels. This threshold also defines the minimal level of mRNA expression. The maximal mRNA signal is defined as the mean + 3 SD of the activated pixel distribution. We then use a linear transformation to convert each pixel from absolute activity to percentage of maximal mRNA signal for that particular probe. The normalized autoradiographic images can then be averaged to represent group trends and can be compared by standard statistical methods. We illustrate this normalization procedure using in situ hybridization autoradiography for three genes (GADD45, HSP70 and MAP2) expressed in the brains of rats studied at various recirculation times following transient (2 h) middle cerebral artery occlusion. The Bayes classifier is reviewed and its analytical application is presented. Step-by-step examples of intermediate steps are presented, construction of averaged data sets, and pixel-based statistical comparisons among expressed genes.