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Query: UMLS:C0038454 (
stroke
)
147,016
document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)
Despite our present knowledge of some of the cellular pathways that modulate central nervous system injury, complete therapeutic prevention or reversal of acute or chronic neuronal injury has not been achieved. The cellular mechanisms that precipitate these diseases are more involved than initially believed. As a result, identification of novel therapeutic targets for the treatment of cellular injury would be extremely beneficial to reduce or eliminate disability from nervous system disorders. Current studies have begun to focus on pathways of oxidative stress that involve a variety of cellular pathways. Here we discuss novel pathways that involve the generation of reactive oxygen species and oxidative stress, apoptotic injury that leads to nuclear degradation in both neuronal and vascular populations, and the early loss of cellular membrane asymmetry that mitigates inflammation and vascular occlusion. Current work has identified exciting pathways, such as the Wnt pathway and the serine-threonine kinase Akt, as central modulators that oversee cellular apoptosis and their downstream substrates that include Forkhead transcription factors, glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, mitochondrial dysfunction, Bad, and Bcl-x(L). Other closely integrated pathways control microglial activation, release of inflammatory cytokines, and caspase and calpain activation. New therapeutic avenues that are just open to exploration, such as with brain temperature regulation, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide modulation, metabotropic glutamate system modulation, and
erythropoietin
targeted expression, may provide both attractive and viable alternatives to treat a variety of disorders that include
stroke
, Alzheimer's disease, and traumatic brain injury.
...
PMID:Oxidative stress in the brain: novel cellular targets that govern survival during neurodegenerative disease. 1588 75
Erythropoietin mediates an evolutionarily conserved, ancient immune response that limits damage to the heart, the nervous system and other tissues following injury. New evidence indicates that
erythropoietin
specifically prevents the destruction of viable tissue surrounding the site of an injury by signalling through a non-haematopoietic receptor. Engineered derivatives of
erythropoietin
that have a high affinity for this receptor have been developed, and these show robust tissue-protective effects in diverse preclinical models without stimulating erythropoiesis. A recent successful proof-of-concept clinical trial that used
erythropoietin
to treat human patients who had suffered a
stroke
encourages the evaluation of both this cytokine and non-erythropoietic derivatives as therapeutic agents to limit tissue injury.
...
PMID:Emerging biological roles for erythropoietin in the nervous system. 1592 18
The cytokine hormone
erythropoietin
(
EPO
) has proved neuroprotective in CNS injury, and clinical trials for ischemic
stroke
are ongoing. The capability of
EPO
to restore postmitotic CNS architecture and function by fibre regeneration has not been examined. Here, we compared in vitro outgrowth capacity of adult retinal ganglion cells (RGCs) following optic nerve (ON) lesion in the presence and absence of
EPO
. Immediate
EPO
conditioning in vivo, or delayed
EPO
treatment of cultures with 10--10,000 IU rhEPO significantly increased numbers (2.66-fold) and length (8.31-fold) of newly generated neurites, without evoking rheological complications.
EPO
induced Stat3 phosphorylation in RGCs, and inhibition of Jak2/Stat3 abolished
EPO
-induced growth.
EPO
-facilitated neuritogenesis was paralleled by upregulation of Bcl-X(L), a Bcl-2 homologue capable of promoting RGC regeneration. The PI3K/Akt pathway was also involved in antiapoptotic and regeneration-enhancing
EPO
actions. In conclusion,
EPO
treatment may offer a unique dual-function strategy for neuroprotection and regeneration.
...
PMID:Erythropoietin promotes regeneration of adult CNS neurons via Jak2/Stat3 and PI3K/AKT pathway activation. 1593 13
Treatment with deferoxamine (DFO) is protective against focal ischemia with global hypoxia when given as a preconditioning stimulus in neonatal rodents. DFO acts as an iron chelator and may stabilize HIF1alpha. Therefore, we hypothesized that DFO would protect against pure ischemia-reperfusion injury when given after the insult and that the protection would be associated with expression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha (HIF1alpha) and downstream target genes such as
erythropoietin
(Epo). To test these hypotheses, we performed middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion in postnatal day 10 (P10) rats for 1.5 h followed by treatment with DFO or vehicle upon reperfusion. Preserved brain volumes were measured with cresyl violet staining 1 week after the insult. HIF1alpha and Epo expression were determined by Western blot and immunocytochemical analyses at different time points after injury. We found that DFO treatment preserved brain volumes when compared to vehicle (P < 0.05). In DFO-treated ischemic cortices, HIF1alpha expression peaked early, while Epo expression was seen in two phases and in different cell populations. Epo immunoreactivity colocalized with neuronal markers at 8 h but with astrocytic markers at 1 week. These results suggest that DFO is protective when administered after neonatal ischemic
stroke
and that this protection may be like that afforded by preconditioning through the upregulation of similar downstream pathways.
...
PMID:Hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha and erythropoietin upregulation with deferoxamine salvage after neonatal stroke. 1602 39
Brain injury as a result of hypoxia-ischemia remains a common cause of morbidity and mortality in neonates. No effective therapy is currently available. The hematopoietic cytokine
erythropoietin
(Epo) provides neuroprotection in many adult models of brain injury and is currently being investigated as a therapeutic agent for human
stroke
and spinal cord injury. We tested the hypothesis that recombinant Epo (rEpo) would improve neurobehavioral outcomes after neonatal hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Postnatal day 7 rats underwent right common carotid artery occlusion followed by a 90-min exposure to 8% oxygen. Rats were subsequently treated with rEpo or placebo. Sensory neglect and apomorphine-induced rotation were measured at P27 and P28. Rats were killed at P30, blood was drawn, and the brains were perfusion-fixed for histology and immunohistochemistry. No differences in gross brain injury between rEpo and placebo-treated rats were found. Neonatal rEpo treatment protected dopamine neurons as indicated by the preservation of tyrosine hydroxylase-positive cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta and ventral tegmental area. rEpo treatment also improved functional outcomes by reducing sensory neglect and preventing the rotational asymmetry seen in control animals. No differences in hematocrit, white blood cell counts, neutrophil counts, or platelet counts were measured. We observed that rEpo treatment protected mesencephalic dopamine neurons and reduced the degree of behavioral asymmetries at 4 wk of life. On the basis of these findings, we conclude that further studies investigating the safety and efficacy of high-dose rEpo as a neuroprotective strategy are indicated in neonatal models of hypoxic-ischemic brain injury.
...
PMID:Erythropoietin protects dopaminergic neurons and improves neurobehavioral outcomes in juvenile rats after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia. 1605 37
Proneuronal basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) transcription factor, neurogenin 1 (Ngn1), regulates neuronal differentiation during development of the cerebral cortex. Akt mediates proneuronal bHLH protein function to promote neuronal differentiation. Here, we show that recombinant human
erythropoietin
(rhEPO) significantly increased Akt activity and Ngn1 mRNA levels in neural progenitor cells derived from the subventricular zone (SVZ) of adult rat, which was coincident with increases of neural progenitor cell proliferation, differentiation, and neurite outgrowth. Inhibition of Akt activity by the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt (PI3K/Akt) inhibitor, LY294002, abolished rhEPO-increased Ngn1 mRNA levels and the effects of rhEPO on neural progenitor cells. In addition, reducing expression of endogenous Ngn1 by means of short-interfering RNA (siRNA) blocked rhEPO-enhanced neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth but not rhEPO-increased proliferation. Furthermore, treatment of
stroke
rat with rhEPO significantly increased Ngn1 mRNA levels in SVZ cells. These data suggest that rhEPO acts as an extracellular molecule that activates the PI3K/Akt pathway, which enhances adult neural progenitor cell proliferation, differentiation, and neurite outgrowth, and Ngn1 is required for Akt-mediated neuronal differentiation and neurite outgrowth.
...
PMID:Neurogenin 1 mediates erythropoietin enhanced differentiation of adult neural progenitor cells. 1613 56
Brain injury evolves over time, often taking days or even weeks to fully develop. It is a dynamic process that involves immediate oxidative stress and excitotoxicity followed by inflammation and preprogrammed cell death. This article presents a brief overview of mechanisms of neuroprotection in the developing brain. Although the focus is on ischemic injury, the conclusions drawn apply to any type of brain insult-epileptic seizures, trauma, or ischemia. Strategies of neuroprotection include salvaging neurons through the use of targeted pharmacotherapies, protecting neurons through preconditioning, and repairing neurons by enhancing neurogenesis. Drug therapies that dampen the impact of immediate and downstream postinjury events are only modestly effective in protecting the brain from ischemic injury. In experimental models, complete or true protection can be achieved only through preconditioning, a process during which an animal develops tolerance to an otherwise lethal stressor. Although of no clinical use, preconditioning models have provided valuable insight into how repair systems work in the brain. Cumulative evidence indicates that the same genes that are upregulated during preconditioning, those mediating true protection, are also upregulated during injury and repair. Specifically, hypoxic preconditioning and hypoxic-ischemic insult have been shown to induce hypoxia inducible factor-1 (HIF-1) and its target survival genes, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and
erythropoietin
(Epo) in rodents. Of particular interest is the upregulation of Epo, a growth factor that may have therapeutic potential in the treatment of ischemic
stroke
. At this time, however, the postinjury enhancement of neurogenesis appears to offer the best hope for long-lasting functional recovery following brain injury.
...
PMID:Protecting neurons. 1620 95
Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) prolyl 4-hydroxylases are a family of iron- and 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenases that negatively regulate the stability of several proteins that have established roles in adaptation to hypoxic or oxidative stress. These proteins include the transcriptional activators HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha. The ability of the inhibitors of HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylases to stabilize proteins involved in adaptation in neurons and to prevent neuronal injury remains unclear. We reported that structurally diverse low molecular weight or peptide inhibitors of the HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylases stabilize HIF-1alpha and up-regulate HIF-dependent target genes (e.g. enolase, p21(waf1/cip1), vascular endothelial growth factor, or
erythropoietin
) in embryonic cortical neurons in vitro or in adult rat brains in vivo. We also showed that structurally diverse HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylase inhibitors prevent oxidative death in vitro and ischemic injury in vivo. Taken together these findings identified low molecular weight and peptide HIF prolyl 4-hydroxylase inhibitors as novel neurological therapeutics for
stroke
as well as other diseases associated with oxidative stress.
...
PMID:Hypoxia-inducible factor prolyl 4-hydroxylase inhibition. A target for neuroprotection in the central nervous system. 1622 10
Recombinant human
erythropoietin
(
epoetin
) has become the standard of care in the treatment of anaemia resulting from cancer and its treatment, and chronic kidney disease. The discovery that
erythropoietin
and its receptor are located in regions outside the erythropoietic system has led to interest in the potential role of
epoetin
in other tissues, such as the central nervous system. Animal studies have shown that systemically applied
epoetin
can cross the blood-brain barrier, where it reduces tissue injury associated with
stroke
, blunt trauma and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. Pilot studies in humans have shown that
epoetin
treatment given within 8 h of
stroke
reduces infarct size and results in a significantly better outcome when compared with placebo treatment. Studies also suggest that
epoetin
has the potential to improve cognitive impairment associated with adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with cancer. Anaemia is a major factor causing tumour hypoxia, a condition that can promote changes within neoplastic cells that further tumour survival and malignant progression and also reduces the effectiveness of several anticancer therapies including radiotherapy and oxygen-dependent cytotoxic agents. Use of
epoetin
to prevent or correct anaemia has the potential to reduce tumour hypoxia and improve treatment outcome. Several therapeutic studies in anaemic animals with experimental tumours have shown a beneficial effect of
epoetin
on delaying tumour growth. Furthermore, clinical observations in patients with multiple myeloma and animal studies have suggested that
epoetin
has an antimyeloma effect, mediated via the immune system through activation of CD8+ T cells. Therefore, the role of
epoetin
may go well beyond that of increasing haemoglobin levels in anaemic patients, although additional studies are required to confirm these promising results.
...
PMID:Beyond anaemia management: evolving role of erythropoietin therapy in neurological disorders, multiple myeloma and tumour hypoxia models. 1624 7
Erythropoietin is a hypoxia-induced hormone that is a major regulator of normal erythropoiesis. Over the last decade, the production of recombinant human
erythropoietin
has revolutionized the treatment of anemia associated with chronic renal failure, and has led to a greater understanding of anemia pathophysiology and to the elucidation of the interactions of
erythropoietin
, iron, and erythropoiesis. Anemia has been shown to be independently associated with increased mortality and disease progression. Potential survival benefits associated with correction of anemia have expanded considerably the indications of
erythropoietin
use in various patient populations and are leading to consideration of earlier, more aggressive treatment of mild to moderate anemia. The results of such treatment are promising in a variety of new clinical settings, including anemia associated with congestive heart failure. Furthermore, the erythropoietin receptor is widely distributed in the cardiovascular system, including endothelial cells, smooth muscle cells and cardiomyocytes and preclinical studies have established
erythropoietin
to be a pleiotropic cytokine with anti-apoptotic activity and tissue-protective actions in the cardiovascular system, beyond correction of hemoglobin levels. Despite some potential adverse effects, such as hypertension, and the occurrence of
erythropoietin
resistance, early studies in heart failure patients with anemia suggest that
erythropoietin
therapy is safe and effective in reducing left ventricular hypertrophy, enhancing exercise performance and increasing ejection fraction. Anemia is found in about one-third of all cases of congestive heart failure (CHF). The most likely common cause is chronic renal insufficiency, which is present in about half of all CHF cases. However, anemia can occur in CHF without renal insufficiency and is likely to be due to excessive cytokine production. The anemia itself can worsen cardiac function, both because it causes cardiac stress through tachycardia and increased
stroke
volume, and because it can cause a reduced renal blood flow and fluid retention, adding further stress to the heart. Long-standing anemia of any cause can cause left ventricular hypertrophy, which can lead to cardiac cell death through apoptosis and worsen CHF. Therefore, a vicious circle, cardio-renal anemia syndrome, is set up wherein CHF causes anemia, and the anemia causes more CHF and both damage the kidneys worsening the anemia and the CHF further and increasing mortality. There is now evidence that early correction of the CHF anemia with subcutaneous
erythropoietin
and intravenous iron improves shortness of breath and fatigue, cardiac function, renal function and exercise capacity, reducing the need for hospitalization and improving quality of life. In the present review we discuss the data on current clinical use of
erythropoietin
in cardiovascular disease, with the main focus on the treatment of congestive heart failure, and summarize the advances and progress made in the understanding of the hematopoietic and pleiotropic effects of
erythropoietin
in the cardiovascular system.
...
PMID:Erythropoietin in heart failure and other cardiovascular diseases: hematopoietic and pleiotropic effects. 1624 29
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