Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: EC:3.2.1.23 (beta-galactosidase)
14,648 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Gene therapy may, be a promising approach for treatment of cerebrovascular disease. An adenoviral vector encoding beta-galactosidase was administered intracisternally or intraventricularly into the brain of rats. Efficient expression of the reporter gene was observed at the cerebral blood vessels and perivascular tissues. When the adenoviral vector was delivered into CSF of dogs suffering from subarachnoid hemorrhage, prominent expressions of transgene were observed. Introduction of the vector to the ischemic brain of rats provided efficient transgene expression in the peri-ischemic area. Therefore, gene transfer to the cerebral blood vessel and brain may be a promising approach for gene therapy of stroke. Atherosclerotic lesion plays an important role in stroke. We evaluated efficacy of adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to the atherosclerotic vessels from monkeys and rabbits using an ex vivo gene transfer system. Efficiency of transgene expression in the atherosclerotic endothelium was better than that of normal vessels in both animals. Thus, the endothelium of atherosclerotic vessels may be a good target for gene therapy. Next, we transfected atherosclerotic carotid arteries from rabbits with an adenoviral vector encoding endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS). After overexpression of eNOS in the atherosclerotic arteries, the response to acetylcholine was augmented, showing similar relaxation with normal vessels. These results suggest that gene transfer to atherosclerotic vessels improves endothelial function, which may be a new therapeutic approach for cerebrovascular disease.
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PMID:Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to cerebral circulation. 1099 9

Glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), a member of the transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta superfamily, is one of the most potent neurotrophic factors and promotes survival of many populations of cells. We examined neuroprotective effect of an adenoviral vector encoding glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (AxCAhGDNF) on the transient global ischemia. Gerbils received administration of AxCAhGDNF or an adenoviral vector encoding bacterial beta-galactosidase gene (AxCALacZ) through the lateral ventricle. Two days later, occluding bilateral common carotid arteries for 5 min using aneurysm clips produced the transient global forebrain ischemia. Animals showed intense immunolabeling for GDNF in ependymal cells on 2, 4 and 7 days after the operation. The exogenous gene transducted by adenovirus in the same cells was detected by in situ hybridization. The treatment with AxCAhGDNF significantly prevented the loss of hippocampal CA1 pyramidal neurons 2 to 7 days after the operation, as compared to AxCALacZ treatment. Also terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP-biotin in situ nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining was markedly reduced in the case with AxCAhGDNF treatment at 7 days after the operation. These results indicated that the adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of GDNF might prevent the delayed neuronal death of stroke and other disorders of the cerebral vasculature.
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PMID:Rescue of ischemic brain injury by adenoviral gene transfer of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor after transient global ischemia in gerbils. 1110 81

We have previously demonstrated that the overexpression of endothelial NO synthase (eNOS) in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) decreases blood pressure, heart rate, and sympathetic nerve activity via an increase in gamma-amino butyric acid release in normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY). Stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP) appear to have reductions of NO production and GABA release in the RVLM. The aim of this study was to determine whether the effects of the increase in NO production in the RVLM in SHRSP are different from those in WKY. We transfected adenovirus vectors encoding either eNOS (AdeNOS) or beta-galactosidase (Adbetagal) into the RVLM of both strains. In the AdeNOS-treated group, mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate in the conscious state were significantly decreased at day 7 after the gene transfer in both strains. The decreases in mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate were significantly greater in SHRSP than in WKY. Urinary norepinephrine excretion was also decreased to a greater degree in SHRSP than in WKY after the gene transfer. The pressor response evoked by bicuculline into the RVLM of WKY was greater than that of SHRSP in the nontransfected group. However, in the AdeNOS-treated group, the pressor response did not differ between SHRSP and WKY after the gene transfer. These results indicate that the increase in NO production evoked by the overexpression of eNOS in the RVLM causes greater depressor and sympathoinhibitory responses in SHRSP than in WKY by improving an inhibitory action of GABA on the RVLM neurons.
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PMID:Cardiovascular effects of overexpression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in the rostral ventrolateral medulla in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats. 1184 95

We investigated whether circulating endothelial progenitor cells contribute to neovascularization after stroke. Donor bone marrow cells obtained from transgenic mice constitutively expressing beta-galactosidase transcriptionally regulated by an endothelial-specific promoter, Tie2, were injected into adult mice. Focal cerebral ischemia was induced by embolic middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion and changes of cerebral blood flow (CBF) were measured by perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Laser scanning confocal microscopy (LSCM), immunohistochemistry and X-gal staining were performed. Perfusion-weighted MRI demonstrated increases in CBF around the boundary of an infarct area 1 month after ischemia. Morphological and 3-dimensional image analyses revealed enlarged and thin-walled blood vessels with sprouting or intussusception at the boundary of the ischemic lesion, which closely corresponded to elevated CBF areas detected on perfusion-weighted MRI, indicating the presence of neovascularization. X-gal and double immunostaining demonstrated that Tie2-lacZ-positive cells incorporated into sites of neovascularization at the border of the infarct, and these cells exhibited an endothelial antigenic marker (von Willebrand factor). In addition, bone marrow recipient mice without ischemia showed incorporation of Tie2-lacZ-expressing cells into vessels of the choroid plexus. These data suggest that formation of new blood vessels in the adult brain after stroke is not restricted to angiogenesis but also involves vasculogenesis and that circulating endothelial progenitor cells from bone marrow contribute to the vascular substructure of the choroid plexus.
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PMID:Bone marrow-derived endothelial progenitor cells participate in cerebral neovascularization after focal cerebral ischemia in the adult mouse. 1186 16

Although cerebral hypoperfusion caused by cerebral occlusive disease leads to cerebral ischemic events, an effective treatment has not yet been established. Recently, a novel therapeutic strategy for ischemic disease using angiogenic growth factors to expedite and/or augment collateral artery development has been proposed. Therapeutic angiogenesis might be useful for the treatment of cerebral occlusive disease. Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a potent angiogenic factor, in addition to vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), whereas in the nervous system HGF also acts as neurotrophic factor. Therefore, we hypothesized that gene transfer of these angiogenic growth factors could induce angiogenesis, thus providing an effective therapy for cerebral hypoperfusion or stroke. In this study, we employed a highly efficient gene transfer method, the viral envelop (Hemagglutinating Virus of Japan [HVJ]-liposome) method, because we previously documented that beta-galactosidase gene could be transfected into the brain by the HVJ-liposome method. Indeed, we confirmed wide distribution of transgene expression using beta-galactosidase via injection into the subarachnoid space. Of importance, transfection of HGF or VEGF gene into the subarachnoid space 7 days before occlusion induced angiogenesis on the brain surface as assessed by alkaline phosphatase staining (P<0.01). In addition, significant improvement of cerebral blood flow (CBF) was observed by laser Doppler imaging (LDI) 7 days after occlusion (P<0.01). Unexpectedly, transfection of HGF or VEGF gene into the subarachnoid space immediately after occlusion of the bilateral carotid arteries also induced angiogenesis on the brain surface and had a significant protective effect on the impairment of CBF by carotid occlusion (P<0.01). Interestingly, coinjection of recombinant HGF with HGF gene transfer revealed a further increase in CBF (P<0.01). Here, we demonstrated successful therapeutic angiogenesis using HGF or VEGF gene transfer into the subarachnoid space to improve cerebral hypoperfusion, thus providing a new therapeutic strategy for cerebral ischemic disease.
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PMID:Gene transfer of hepatocyte growth factor to subarachnoid space in cerebral hypoperfusion model. 1201 87

Bone marrow contains a population of pluripotent cells that can differentiate into a variety of cell lineages, including neural cells. When injected directly into the demyelinated spinal cord they can elicit remyelination. Recent work has shown that following systemic delivery of bone marrow cells functional improvement occurs in contusive spinal cord injury and stroke models in rat. We report here that secondary to intravenous introduction of an acutely isolated bone marrow cell fraction (mononuclear fraction) from adult rat femoral bones separated on a density gradient, ultrastructurally defined remyelination occurs throughout a focal demyelinated spinal cord lesion. The anatomical pattern of remyelination was characteristic of both oligodendrocyte and Schwann cell myelination; conduction velocity improved in the remyelinated axons. When the injected bone marrow cells were transfected to express LacZ, beta-galactosidase reaction product was observed in some myelin-forming cells in the spinal cord. Intravenous injection of other myelin-forming cells (Schwann cells and olfactory ensheathing cells) or the residual cell fraction of the gradient did not result in remyelination, suggesting that remyelination was specific to the delivery of the mononuclear fraction. While the precise mechanism of the repair, myelination by the bone marrow cells or facilitation of an endogenous repair process, cannot be fully determined, the results demonstrate an unprecedented level of myelin repair by systemic delivery of the mononuclear cells.
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PMID:Remyelination of the spinal cord following intravenous delivery of bone marrow cells. 1220 89

The delivery of proteins across the blood-brain barrier is severely limited by the proteins' size and biochemical properties. Eleven-amino acid human immunodeficiency virus TAT protein is able to cross cell membranes even when coupled with larger peptides. We evaluated whether TAT-Bcl-X(L) fusion protein is protective in focal ischemia. Mice underwent 30 or 90 minutes of intraluminal middle cerebral artery thread occlusion. TAT-Bcl-X(L), TAT-beta-galactosidase, or TAT-GFP (0.6 nmol each) were applied intravenously over 10 minutes either 1 hour before or immediately after ischemia. Additional animals received no TAT protein infusions. We show that the brain tissue is progressively transduced with TAT proteins within 3 to 4 hours after intravenous delivery. We provide evidence that TAT-Bcl-X(L) treatment reduces infarct volume and neurological deficits after long ischemic insults lasting 90 minutes, when applied both before and after ischemia. After short insults, lasting only 30 minutes, TAT-Bcl-X(L) further diminishes the number of caspase-3-reactive and DNA fragmented cells and increases the number of viable neurons in the striatum. Our results indicate that TAT fusion proteins are elegant and powerful tools that might be of clinical interest for stroke treatment, because factors may be intravenously applied. Thus, fusion proteins may open fascinating perspectives for future research.
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PMID:Intravenous TAT-Bcl-Xl is protective after middle cerebral artery occlusion in mice. 1240 59

Gene therapy may be a promising approach for the treatment of brain ischemia. Because older populations are susceptible to ischemic stroke, we examined the effects of aging on adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to the ischemic brain of rats. Brain ischemia was produced by photochemical occlusion of the distal middle cerebral artery of aged and adult spontaneously hypertensive rats. Ninety minutes after ischemia, an adenoviral vector encoding beta-galactosidase was injected into the contralateral (C) and ipsilateral [peri-ischemic (I-p) and ischemic core (I-c)] parietal cortices. Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was measured by laser Doppler flowmetry. Transgene expression was scored semiquantitatively as an expression score by histochemistry and also quantitatively analyzed by chemiluminescence assay. Changes in CBF after ischemia in aged rats were not significantly different from those in adult rats, although the infarct rim in the older rats tended to be closer to the midline than in the younger rats. beta-galactosidase was detected in both neurons and non-neuronal cells at C and I-p, and was primarily present in non-neuronal cells at I-c. The expression scores 1 and 4 days after ischemia in the aged rats were similar to those in the adult rats. However, the score for the I-c at 7 days after injection was significantly greater in the older rats than in the younger adult rats. beta-galactosidase activity at I-c 7 days after ischemia in the aged rats (8.0+/-1.7mU/mg protein) was significantly greater than that in the adult rats (1.3+/-0.4, p<0.01). Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to the ischemic brain may thus be more effective in aged rats than in adult rats.
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PMID:Adenovirus-mediated gene transfer to ischemic brain is augmented in aged rats. 1267 Jun 29

Historically, in vivo imaging methods have largely relied on imaging gross anatomy. More recently it has become possible to depict biological processes at the cellular and molecular level. These new research methods use magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), near-infrared optical imaging, scintigraphy, and autoradiography in vivo and in vitro. Of primary interest is the development of methods using MRI and PET with which the progress of gene therapy in glioblastoma (herpes simplex virus-thymidine kinase) and Parkinson's disease can be monitored and graphically displayed. The distribution of serotonin receptors in the human brain and the duration of serotonin-receptor antagonist binding can be assessed by PET. With PET, it is possible to localize neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) and beta-amyloid senile plaques (APs) in the brains of living Alzheimer disease (AD) patients. MR tracking of transplanted oligodendrocyte progenitors is feasible for determining the extent of remyelinization in myelin-deficient rats. Stroke therapy in adult rats with subventricular zone cells can be monitored by MRI. Transgene expression (beta-galactosidase, tyrosinase, engineered transferrin receptor) can also be visualized using MRI. Macrophages can be marked with certain iron-containing contrast agents which, through accumulation at the margins of glioblastomas, ameliorate the visual demarcation in MRI. The use of near-infrared optical imaging techniques to visualize matrix-metalloproteinases and cathepsin B can improve the assessment of tumor aggressiveness and angiogenesis-inhibitory therapy. Apoptosis could be detected using near-infrared optical imaging representation of caspase 3 activity and annexin B. This review demonstrates the need for neurohistological research if further progress is to be made in the emerging but burgeoning field of molecular imaging.
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PMID:Molecular imaging: Bridging the gap between neuroradiology and neurohistology. 1502 22

We have generated stable, immortalized cell lines of human NSCs from primary human fetal telencephalon cultures via a retroviral vector encoding v-myc. HB1.F3, one of the human NSC lines, expresses a normal human karyotype of 46, XX, and nestin, a cell type-specific marker for NSCs. F3 has the ability to proliferate continuously and differentiate into cells of neuronal and glial lineage. The HB1.F3 human NSC line was used for cell therapy in a mouse model of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) stroke. Experimental ICH was induced in adult mice by intrastriatal administration of bacterial collagenase; 1 week after surgery, the rats were randomly divided into two groups so as to receive intracerebrally either human NSCs labeled with beta-galactosidase (n = 31) or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) (n = 30). Transplanted NSCs were detected by 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-beta-d-galactoside histochemistry or double labeling with beta-galactosidase (beta-gal) and mitogen-activated protein (MAP)2, neurofilaments (both for neurons), or glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) (for astrocytes). Behavior of the animals was evaluated for period up to 8 weeks using modified Rotarod tests and a limb placing test. Transplanted human NSCs were identified in the perihematomal areas and differentiated into neurons (beta-gal/MAP2(+) and beta-gal/NF(+)) or astrocytes (beta-gal/GFAP(+)). The NSC-transplanted group showed markedly improved functional performance on the Rotarod test and limb placing after 2-8 weeks compared with the control PBS group (p < .001). These results indicate that the stable immortalized human NSCs are a valuable source of cells for cell replacement and gene transfer for the treatment of ICH and other human neurological disorders. Disclosure of potential conflicts of interest is found at the end of this article.
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PMID:Brain transplantation of immortalized human neural stem cells promotes functional recovery in mouse intracerebral hemorrhage stroke model. 1721


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