Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0022116 (ischemia)
 91,303 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

NGF (nerve growth factor) and BDNF (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) are protein molecules (MW 26 and 13.6 kDa, respectively) that are neuroprotective in the middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat stroke model. Their mechanism of action involves the activation of transcription factor AP-1 that turns on neuronal growth genes. In our ongoing studies we are designing short peptides that mimic some of the properties of full-length neurotrophic factors. We have synthesized a neuroprotective 14-amino acid peptide (CMX-9236) with an N-terminal docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). DHA enhances entry through the blood-brain barrier. Using primary rat brain cortical cultures and a fluorescent assay we found that CMX-9236 can counteract the excitotoxic effects of glutamate or kainate, reversing the intracellular accumulation of Ca(2+) to normal levels. Administration (i.v.) of CMX-9236 post initiation of ischemia reduced the lesion volumes from 178+/-50 to 117+/-55 mm(3) in the temporary rat MCAO model (90 min), and from 216+/-58 to 127+/-57 mm(3) in the permanent (24 h) model for stroke, corresponding to 34+/-28% (P=0.01) and 41+/-19% (P=0.038) reductions of the infarct volumes. Neurological behavior scores showed 57 and 47% improvements for treated temporary and permanent models, respectively. Dose-response studies indicated a 60-fold activation of AP-1 transcription factor in cells treated with 100 ng/ml of the peptide. These studies illustrate that a small peptide can function as a neuroprotective agent and an activator of a beneficial signal transduction pathway.
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PMID:Neuroprotective effects of a new synthetic peptide, CMX-9236, in in vitro and in vivo models of cerebral ischemia. 1256 Jan 27

Intravenous administration of human bone marrow stromal cells (hMSCs) after middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo) in rats provides functional benefit. We tested the hypothesis that these functional benefits are derived in part from hMSC production of growth and trophic factors. Quantitative sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of hMSCs cultured with normal and MCAo brain extracts were performed. hMSCs cultured in supernatant derived from ischemic brain extracts increased production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), nerve growth factor (NGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF). These neurotrophins and angiogenic growth factors increased in a post-ischemia time-dependent manner. The hMSC capacity to increase expression of growth and trophic factors may be the key to the benefit provided by transplanted hMSCs in the ischemic brain.
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PMID:Ischemic rat brain extracts induce human marrow stromal cell growth factor production. 1256 67

Neurotrophins play a protective role during cerebral ischemia, and mice lacking both alleles for neurotrophin 4 (Nt4-/- ) or deficient in a single allele for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf+/-) have increased susceptibility to cerebral ischemia. This study directly compared the biologic activities of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and NT4 by replacing the coding sequence with the Nt4 sequence (Bdnf +/nt4-ki ). Mice expressing one allele in place of develop 61% bigger lesions after 1-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion compared with wild-type littermates. Physiologic parameters did not contribute to ischemia susceptibility. In conclusion, NT4 is less potent than BDNF in promoting brain survival after stroke.
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PMID:Stroke damage in mice after knocking the neutrophin-4 gene into the brain-derived neurotrophic factor locus. 1257 46

Nerve growth factor was the first identified protein with anti-apoptotic activity on neurons. This prototypic neurotrophic factor, together with the three structurally and functionally related growth factors brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), neurotrophin-3 (NT3) and neurotrophin-4/5 (NT4/5), forms the neurotrophin protein family. Target T cells for neurotrophins include many neurons affected by neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and peripheral polyneuropathies. In addition, the neurotrophins act on neurons affected by other neurological and psychiatric pathologies including ischemia, epilepsy, depression and eating disorders. Work with cell cultures and animal models provided solid support for the hypothesis that neurotrophins prevent neuronal death. While no evidence exists that a lack of neurotrophins underlies the etiology of any neurodegenerative disease, these studies have spurred on hopes that neurotrophins might be useful symptomatic-therapeutic agents. However first clinical trials led to variable results and severe side effects were observed. For future therapeutic use of the neurotrophins it is therefore crucial to expand our knowledge about their physiological functions as well as their pharmacokinetic properties. A major challenge is to develop methods for their application in effective doses and in a precisely timed and localized fashion.
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PMID:Neurotrophins. 1257 26

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is the rate-limiting step in the translation of neurotrophin neuroscience into clinically effective neurotherapeutics. Since neurotrophins do not cross the BBB, these proteins cannot be used for neuroprotection following intravenous administration, and it is not feasible to administer these molecules by intra-cerebral injection in human stroke. The present studies describe the development of the chimeric peptide brain drug targeting technology and the use of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) chimeric peptides in either global or regional brain ischemia. The BDNF chimeric peptide is formed by conjugation of BDNF to a monoclonal antibody (MAb) to the BBB transferrin receptor, and the MAb acts as a molecular Trojan Horse to ferry the BDNF across the BBB via transport on the endogenous BBB transferrin receptor. High degrees of neuroprotection in transient forebrain ischemia, permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion, or reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion are achieved with the delayed intravenous administration of BDNF chimeric peptides. In contrast, no neuroprotection is observed following the intravenous administration of unconjugated BDNF, because the neurotrophin does not cross the BBB in vivo.
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PMID:Blood-brain barrier drug targeting enables neuroprotection in brain ischemia following delayed intravenous administration of neurotrophins. 1257 30

We have previously shown that exogenous application of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) reduces infarct volume in the cortical ischemic penumbra after experimental focal ischemia [Stroke 31 (2000) 2212-2217]. Since BDNF is known to modulate the expression and function of various neurotransmitter receptors, we addressed the question whether BDNF may act via modification of postischemic ligand binding to excitatory NMDA and AMPA and/or inhibitory GABA(A) receptors, respectively. Transient focal cerebral ischemia was induced in male Wistar rats for 2 h using the suture occlusion technique. A period of 30 min after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery, BDNF (300 microg/kg per hour in vehicle; n=5) or vehicle alone (n=5) was continuously infused intravenously for 3 h. Using quantitative receptor autoradiography, postischemic ligand binding of [(3)H]MK-801, [(3)H]AMPA and [(3)H]muscimol was analyzed in the ischemic core, the ischemic cortical penumbra and corresponding regions of the contralateral hemisphere. Transient focal ischemia caused a significant reduction of [(3)H]muscimol binding to GABA(A) receptors within the ischemic cortical penumbra of placebo-treated rats. This was largely prevented by exogenous application of BDNF. [(3)H]MK-801 and [(3)H]AMPA binding values were also reduced in the cortical penumbra and the corresponding area of the contralateral hemisphere. Our data suggest that the neuroprotective effect of BDNF against ischemic damage in the cortical penumbra may be mediated in part by maintained activity of the inhibitory GABAergic system which likely counteracts glutamate induced excitotoxicity.
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PMID:Exogenous brain-derived neurotrophic factor prevents postischemic downregulation of [3H]muscimol binding to GABA(A) receptors in the cortical penumbra. 1265 2

The percentage of grafted embryonic DA neurons that survive transplantation is low, estimated at 5-20%. Significant agreement has emerged from the work of research groups worldwide that specific conditions associated with the transplant procedure and post-transplantation interval render grafted mesencephalic cells susceptible to apoptotic death. Detrimental triggers including hypoxia/ischemia, trophic factor withdrawal, and oxidative stress appear to exert the most impact on grafted DA neuron survival. Treatment strategies that aim to reduce or eliminate the triggers of grafted cell death appear to be more successful than approaches that target the intracellular apoptotic cascade. In particular, treatment of mesencephalic cell suspensions with isolated neurotrophic factors (GDNF, BDNF, NT 4/5) as well as glial-derived factors, antioxidant therapies and augmentation of graft vasculature have demonstrated consistent survival promoting effects. Caspase inhibition, although initially quite promising, has not been demonstrated to reliably increase grafted cell survival. Bcl-2 overexpression similarly has yet to prove beneficial, although this may be due to biologically irrelevant levels of bcl-2 present during the critical immediate post-grafting interval. Future strategies will target a "cocktail" approach in which effective treatment agents are combined to maximize grafted DA neuron survival. Refinements in ex vivo transduction parameters will allow for efficient sustained delivery of survival promoting agents to grafted cells. Once identified, the optimal survival-enhancing treatment of grafted primary embryonic DA neurons should also benefit future transplant therapies utilizing alternatively derived DA neurons.
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PMID:Strategies for the augmentation of grafted dopamine neuron survival. 1270 87

Previous studies have demonstrated that the expression of several growth factors including glial cell-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF), brain-derived growth factor (BDNF), and neurotrophin-3 (NT-3) play an important role in defining neuronal survival after brain ischemia. In the present study, using a well-defined model of transient spinal ischemia in rat, we characterized the changes in spinal GDNF, BDNF, and NT-3 expression as defined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and immunofluorescence coupled with deconvolution microscopy. In control animals, baseline levels of GDNF, BDNF, and NT-3 (74 +/- 22, 3,600 +/- 270, 593 +/- 176 pg/g tissue, respectively) were measured. In the ischemic group, 6 min of spinal ischemia resulted in a biphasic response with increases in tissue GDNF and BDNF concentrations at the 2-hr and 72-hr points after ischemia. No significant differences in NT-3 concentration were detected. Deconvolution analysis revealed that the initial increase in tissue GDNF concentration corresponded to a neuronal upregulation whereas the late peak seen at 72 hr corresponded with increased astrocyte-derived GDNF synthesis. Increased expression of BDNF was seen in neurons, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes. These data suggest that the early increase in neuronal GDNF/BDNF expression likely modulates neuronal resistance/recovery during the initial period of postischemic reflow. Increased astrocyte-derived BDNF/GDNF expression corresponds with transient activation of astrocytes and may play an active role in neuronal plasticity after non-injurious intervals of spinal ischemia.
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PMID:Changes in spinal GDNF, BDNF, and NT-3 expression after transient spinal cord ischemia in the rat. 1459 99

Ubiquitin is thought to be a stress protein that plays an important role in protecting cells under stress conditions; however, its precise role is unclear. Ubiquitin expression level is controlled by the balance of ubiquitinating and deubiquitinating enzymes. To investigate the function of deubiquitinating enzymes on ischemia-induced neural cell apoptosis in vivo, we analyzed gracile axonal dystrophy (gad) mice with an exon deletion for ubiquitin carboxy terminal hydrolase-L1 (UCH-L1), a neuron-specific deubiquitinating enzyme. In wild-type mouse retina, light stimuli and ischemic retinal injury induced strong ubiquitin expression in the inner retina, and its expression pattern was similar to that of UCH-L1. On the other hand, gad mice showed reduced ubiquitin induction after light stimuli and ischemia, whereas expression levels of antiapoptotic (Bcl-2 and XIAP) and prosurvival (brain-derived neurotrophic factor) proteins that are normally degraded by an ubiquitin-proteasome pathway were significantly higher. Consistently, ischemia-induced caspase activity and neural cell apoptosis were suppressed approximately 70% in gad mice. These results demonstrate that UCH-L1 is involved in ubiquitin expression after stress stimuli, but excessive ubiquitin induction following ischemic injury may rather lead to neural cell apoptosis in vivo.
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PMID:Role of ubiquitin carboxy terminal hydrolase-L1 in neural cell apoptosis induced by ischemic retinal injury in vivo. 1469 19

The development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease is a common comorbidity in patients with the metabolic syndrome, a concurrence of cardiovascular risk factors in one individual. While multiple growth factors and adipokines are identified in atherosclerotic lesions, as well as neurotrophins implicated in both cardiac ischemia and lipid and glucose metabolism, the potential role of neurotrophins in human coronary atherosclerosis and in the metabolic syndrome still remains to be elucidated. Here we describe and discuss our results that represent a novel attempt to study the cardiovascular and metabolic biology of nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and mast cells (MC). The local amount of NGF, the immunolocalization of p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) and the number of MC were correlatively examined in coronary vascular wall and in the surrounding subepicardial adipose tissue, obtained from autopsy cases in humans with advanced coronary atherosclerosis. We also analyzed the plasma levels of NGF, BDNF and leptin and the number of MC in biopsies from abdominal subcutaneous adipose tissue in patients with a severe form of the metabolic syndrome. The results demonstrate that NGF levels are decreased in atherosclerotic coronary vascular tissue but increased in the subepicardial adipose tissue, whereas both tissues express a greater number of MC and a stronger p75NTR immunoreactivity, compared to controls. Metabolic syndrome patients display a significant hyponeurotrophinemia and an increased number of adipose MC; the later correlates with elevated plasma leptin levels. In effect, we provide the first evidence for (i) an altered presence of NGF, p75NTR and MC in both coronary vascular and subepicardial adipose tissue in human coronary atherosclerosis, and (ii) a significant decrease in plasma NGF and BDNF levels and an elevated amount of plasma leptin and adipose MC in metabolic syndrome patients. Together our findings suggest that neuroimmune mediators such as NGF, BDNF, leptin and MC may be involved in the development of cardiovascular disease and related disorders.
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PMID:Neurotrophin presence in human coronary atherosclerosis and metabolic syndrome: a role for NGF and BDNF in cardiovascular disease? 1469 70


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