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Query: UMLS:C0038454 (stroke)
147,016 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

BRAIN AND BLOOD PRESSURE IN EXPERIMENTAL ANIMALS: Our experiments in models of experimental hypertension in the rabbit in the early 1970s demonstrated that increased activity of bulbospinal pressor neurons containing noradrenaline or serotonin mediated the elevated arterial blood pressure. Other workers had demonstrated decreased activity of noradrenergic neurons in the medulla. Accordingly, I proposed the hypothesis that the hypertension in these models arose from 'disinhibition', due to unrestrained activity of descending pressor pathways, released from the inhibitory influences present in normal animals. Over the next 15-20 years, experiments from our group and from other laboratories demonstrated that there were two distinct bulbospinal pressor pathways descending from the rostral ventral medulla, one containing adrenaline, neuropeptide Y and glutamate, and the other containing serotonin, substance P and glutamate. It has also been established that the key depressor area is in the caudal ventrolateral medulla and that the main inhibitory input, restraining the activity of the bulbospinal pressor pathways, is a short gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) projection ascending from the caudal ventrolateral medulla to the rostral ventral medulla. More recent experiments in the spontaneously hypertensive rat (SHR) using the immediate-early gene c-fos as a marker of neuronal activity, have demonstrated that impaired activity of this short inhibitory GABA pathway in the SHR disinhibits the bulbospinal pressor pathway, thus contributing to the hypertension in this model. BLOOD PRESSURE AND STROKE IN HUMANS: The risks of primary stroke and of secondary or recurrent stroke are both directly related to the level of blood pressure and clinical trials have clearly demonstrated that lowering blood pressure markedly reduces the incidence of primary stroke. The Perindopril Protection Against Recurrent Stroke Study (PROGRESS) was launched to test the hypothesis that lowering the blood pressure in subjects who have already had a stroke or a transient ischaemic attack will also reduce the risk of stroke. A major unresolved issue for practising clinicians is how to manage the raised blood pressure that is so common in the acute phase of stroke. Accordingly, the PROGRESS investigators are planning another major multinational trial to assess the benefits and risks of lowering blood pressure in the first 3 days after the onset of a stroke.
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PMID:Volhard Lecture. Brain, blood pressure and stroke. 988 69

An antisense oligodeoxynucleotide selective for the rat neuropeptide Y1 receptor gene was given into the left lateral ventricle in the experimental group of rats, whereas a missense oligodeoxynucleotide or saline was given in the control groups. Some rats were decapitated at 1-2h after the last injection of the oligodeoxynucleotides to examine their effects on the Y1 receptor density in the insular cortex. When compared to the Y1 and Y2 binding density of the untreated rats, the antisense-treated rats had reduced Y1 binding in the insular cortex but the Y2 binding was unaffected; treatment with missense oligodeoxynucleotide had no effect. Other rats underwent a right-sided middle cerebral artery occlusion at 1-2h after the last injection of the oligodeoxynucleotides or saline to examine the effect on the infarction volume at three days following stroke. The antisense treatment resulted in a doubling of the mean infarction volume when compared to the missense or saline treatment.Thus, reducing the Y1 receptor density prior to middle cerebral artery occlusion is harmful. Neuropeptide Y may mediate neuroprotection against focal ischemia via the cortical Y1 receptor, since the immunoreactivity for neuropeptide Y has been shown to increase within the peri-infarct cortex after middle cerebral artery occlusion.
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PMID:Neuropeptide Y-Y1 receptor antisense oligodeoxynucleotide increases the infarct volume after middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. 1089 20

In a rat endovascular middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) stroke model, we previously showed that intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of neuropeptide Y (NPY) or an Y1 receptor agonist, [Leu(31),Pro(34)]-NPY, increased the infarct volume, that an Y1 receptor antagonist, BIBP3226, reduced the infarct volume, and that an Y2 receptor agonist, NPY3-36, had no effect. In this study, we used electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy to measure nitric oxide (NO) and examined how ICV administration of NPY or its receptor analogs would modulate the brain NO level between the bregma levels +2 and -4 mm during MCAO, since excessive NO mediates ischemic damage. The relative brain NO concentration was increased to 131.94 +/- 7.99% (mean +/- SEM; n = 8) at 15 min of MCAO. NPY treatment further increased the relative brain NO concentration to 250.94 +/- 50.48% (n = 8), whereas BIBP3226 significantly reduced the brain NO concentration to 69.63 +/- 8.84% (n = 8). [Leu(31),Pro(34)]-NPY (137.61 +/- 14.54%; n = 7) or NPY3-36 (129.23 +/- 21.77%; n = 8) did not affect the brain NO concentration at 15 min of MCAO. Our results suggest that the NPY-Y1 receptor activation mediates ischemic injury via NO overproduction and that inhibition of the Y1 receptor may confer protection via suppression of excessive NO production during ischemia.
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PMID:Neuropeptide Y-Y1 receptor modulates nitric oxide level during stroke in the rat. 1193 3

To explore the role of brain-derived neurotrophic factor for survival and generation of striatal neurons after stroke, recombinant adeno-associated viral vectors carrying brain-derived neurotrophic factor or green fluorescent protein genes were injected into right rat substantia nigra 4-5 weeks prior to 30 min ipsilateral of middle cerebral artery occlusion. The brain-derived neurotrophic factor-recombinant adeno-associated viral transduction markedly increased the production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor protein by nigral cells. Brain-derived neurotrophic factor was transported anterogradely to the striatum and released in biologically active form, as revealed by the hypertrophic response of striatal neuropeptide Y-positive interneurons. Animals transduced with brain-derived neurotrophic factor-recombinant adeno-associated virus also exhibited abnormalities in body posture and movements, including tilted body to the right, choreiform movements of left forelimb and head, and spontaneous, so-called 'barrel' rotation along their long axis. The continuous delivery of brain-derived neurotrophic factor had no effect on the survival of striatal projection neurons after stroke, but exaggerated the loss of cholinergic, and parvalbumin- and neuropeptide Y-positive, gamma-aminobutyric acid-ergic interneurons. The high brain-derived neurotrophic factor levels in the animals subjected to stroke also gave rise to an increased number of striatal cells expressing doublecortin, a marker for migrating neuroblasts, and cells double-labelled with the mitotic marker, 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine-5'monophosphate, and early neuronal (Hu) or striatal neuronal (Meis2) markers. Our findings indicate that long-term anterograde delivery of high levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor increases the vulnerability of striatal interneurons to stroke-induced damage. Concomitantly, brain-derived neurotrophic factor potentiates the stroke-induced neurogenic response, at least at early stages.
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PMID:Anterograde delivery of brain-derived neurotrophic factor to striatum via nigral transduction of recombinant adeno-associated virus increases neuronal death but promotes neurogenic response following stroke. 1282 74

Obesity is currently considered as an epidemic in the western world, and it represents a major risk factor for life-threatening diseases such as heart attack, stroke, diabetes, and cancer. Taking advantage of DNA microarray technology, we tried to identify the molecules explaining the relationship between obesity and vascular disorders, comparing mRNA expression of about 12,000 genes in white adipose tissue between normal, high fat diet-induced obesity (DIO) and d-Trp34 neuropeptide Y-induced obesity in mice. Expression of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) mRNA displayed a 7.2-fold increase in obese mice as compared with normal mice, leading to substantially elevated MCP-1 protein levels in adipocytes. MCP-1 levels in plasma were also increased in DIO mice, and a strong correlation between plasma MCP-1 levels and body weight was identified. We also showed that elevated MCP-1 protein levels in plasma increased the CD11b-positive monocyte/macrophage population in DIO mice. Furthermore, infusion of MCP-1 into lean mice increased the CD11b-positive monocyte population without inducing changes in body weight. Given the importance of MCP-1 in activation of monocytes and subsequent atherosclerotic development, these results suggest a novel role of adiposity in the development of vascular disorders.
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PMID:Adiposity elevates plasma MCP-1 levels leading to the increased CD11b-positive monocytes in mice. 1312 12

In this article we show some recent findings that constitute a great progress in the molecular knowledge of synaptic dynamics. To communicate, neurons use a code that includes electrical (action potentials) and chemical signals (neurotransmitters, neuromodulators). At the moment a great variety of molecules are known, whose neurotransmitter function in brain and the peripheral nervous system are out of question. Monoamines like acetylcholine, dopamine, noradrenaline, adrenaline, histamine, serotonin, glutamate, aspartate, glycine, ATP and GABA are good examples. Opioid neuropeptides, vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), neurokinines (substance P), somatostatin, neurotensin, neuropeptide Y, cholecystokinine, vasopressin or oxitocin have been related to the control of the stress response, sexual behaviour, food intake, pain, learning and memory, qualities that are also related to nitric oxide (NO). A great part of the molecular structure of the secretory machinery is known to be responsible for fast neurotransmitter release at the synapse, in response to action potentials. Proteins like sinaptobrevin (located in the membrane of the synaptic vesicle), sintaxin and SNAP-25 (both located at the presynaptic plasma membrane) constitute a trimeric complex which is responsible of the vesicular docking at the active sites for exocytosis. From this strategic location, vesicles release their neurotransmitter within few milliseconds, when the action potential invades the nerve terminal and activates the opening of the different subtypes of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels. The asymmetric geographical distribution of each type of channel, in different neurons, rose the hypothesis that Ca2+ that enters through each subtype of channel is compartmentalised, thus favouring the generation of Ca2+ microdomains, in the cytosol and the nucleus, involved in different cellular functions. This great biochemical synaptic heterogeneity is facilitating the selection of many biological targets to develop drugs with potential therapeutic applications in neuropsychiatric diseases i.e. Alzheimer's, Parkinson, epilepsies, stroke, vascular dementia, depression, schizophrenia, anxiety and so on.
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PMID:[Neurotransmitters, calcium signalling and neuronal communication]. 1515 88

The aim of the present study was to compare in man the innervation pattern and the functional responses to neuronal messengers in medium sized lenticulostriate and branches of the posterior cerebral arteries (PCA). The majority of the nerve fibers found were sympathetic and displayed specific immunoreactivity for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and neuropeptide Y (NPY). Only few nerve fibers displayed vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP) immunoreactivity. In both arteries, the contractions induced by noradrenaline (NA), NPY and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) and the relaxant responses induced by acetylcholine (ACh), VIP and pituitary adenylate cyclase activating peptide-27 (PACAP) as well as CGRP and SP were compared in vitro. In conclusion, there was no major difference in innervation pattern or vasomotor sensitivity (pEC50 and pIC50 values) between the two vessels. However, the general pattern indicates stronger vasomotor responses (Emax and Imax) in the PCA branches as compared to the lenticulostriate arteries which may lend support for the clinical observation of a difference in stroke expression between the two vascular areas.
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PMID:Peptidergic and non-peptidergic innervation and vasomotor responses of human lenticulostriate and posterior cerebral arteries. 1557 98

A distinctive feature of galanin expression is that it is extensively increased by neuronal injury, estrogens, Alzheimer's disease and during development. Since stroke is amongst the clinically most important causes of neuronal injury we studied the tissue concentrations of galanin in a rat stroke model and the possibility of modulating this effect with estrogen. Transient focal middle cerebral artery ischemia was induced in rats that 2 weeks earlier underwent ovariectomy and received 1.5mg 17beta-estradiol slow-release or placebo pellets. The concentrations of galanin and neuropeptide Y were measured after observation periods of 3, 7 and 14 days in extracts of punch biopsies from both the lesioned and the contra lateral control hemisphere. The galanin levels were not changed in any of the brain regions studied except in the hippocampus where they were lower in the ischemic hemisphere in both the estrogen- and placebo-treated animals compared to the corresponding contra lateral intact hemisphere (p=0.015). Estrogen treatment up-regulated galanin concentrations in both the ventral and dorsal hippocampus (p=0.003). The effects on the galanin concentrations were similar after all observation periods: 3, 7 and 14 days (p=0.144). No significant changes were observed in the concentration of neuropeptide Y in response to the lesions. The ischemic lesions were markedly larger in the estrogen-treated animals observed after 3 days compared to the corresponding control group. In the estrogen group the lesion was largest at bregma and the slice 2mm anterior to the bregma, 82% and 435% larger than in the control group (p<0.001). A similar, but much less pronounced (not statistically significant) difference was seen in the groups observed after 7 and 14 days. Earlier studies of lesions in the peripheral and central nervous systems have generally shown an up-regulation of galanin markers in response to but at a distance from the injury. Our results indicate that galanin is not involved in the response of the ischemic penumbra itself to stroke, whereas it may participate in the reactions of the neural stem-cell rich hippocampus to stroke.
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PMID:Estradiol increases brain lesions in the cortex and lateral striatum after transient occlusion of the middle cerebral artery in rats: no effect of ischemia on galanin in the stroke area but decreased levels in the hippocampus. 1591 33

Recent findings in adult rodents have provided evidence for the formation of new striatal neurons from subventricular zone (SVZ) precursors following stroke. Little is known about which factors determine the magnitude of striatal neurogenesis in the damaged brain. Here we studied striatal neurogenesis following an excitotoxic lesion to the adult rat striatum induced by intrastriatal quinolinic acid (QA) infusion. New cells were labeled with the thymidine-analogue 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine (BrdU) and their identity was determined immunocytochemically with various phenotypic markers. The unilateral lesion gave rise to increased cell proliferation mainly in the ipsilateral SVZ. At 2 weeks following the insult, there was a pronounced increase of the number of new neurons co-expressing BrdU and a marker of migrating neuroblasts, doublecortin, in the ipsilateral striatum, particularly its non-damaged medial parts. About 80% of the new neurons survived up to 6 weeks, when they expressed the mature neuronal marker NeuN and were preferentially located in the outer parts of the damaged area. Lesion-generated neurons expressed phenotypic markers of striatal medium spiny neurons (DARPP-32) and interneurons (parvalbumin or neuropeptide Y). The magnitude of neurogenesis correlated to the size of the striatal damage. Our data show for the first time that an excitotoxic lesion to the striatum can trigger the formation of new striatal neurons with phenotypes of both projection neurons and interneurons.
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PMID:Quantitative analysis of the generation of different striatal neuronal subtypes in the adult brain following excitotoxic injury. 1593 16

It has been suggested that skeletal nerves fibers may play important roles in neuro-osteogenic interactions. This view is partly based upon information obtained from immunohistochemical studies, chemical and surgical denervation experiments and clinical observations in patients with stroke and spinal cord injury, indicating the presence of a network of nerve fibers in the skeleton and that defective signalling in skeletal nerve fibers affects remodelling of bone. This view is also supported by data showing that functional receptors for signalling molecules in skeletal nerve fibers are expressed in bone cells and that activation of these receptors leads to profound effects on bone forming osteoblasts and bone resorbing osteoclasts. Convincing evidence for a role of neuronal signalling in bone metabolism has been provided by gene deletion approaches in which it has been shown that leptin-sensitive and neuropeptide Y-sensitive receptors in hypothalamus are important for bone remodelling in mice. Recently, gene deletion experiments have shown that calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), one of the neuropeptides present in skeletal nerve fibers, is an important physiological regulator of bone formation at the level of osteoblast activity. CGRP belongs to the calcitonin (CT) family of peptides also including CT, amylin and adrenomedullin, as well as the recently described intermedin and calcitonin receptor-stimulating peptide. These peptides utilize two seven transmembrane G protein-coupled receptors - the calcitonin receptor (CTR) and the calcitonin receptor- like receptor (CRLR) - which can dimerize with three different single transmembrane proteins, making up the RAMP family. Associations between RAMPs and either CTR or CRLR give rise to seven distinct, molecularly characterized, receptors for CT, CGRP, amylin and adrenomedullin. Deletions of the genes for ligands in the CT family of peptides and for one of the receptors have revealed unexpected findings that have changed our view on the role of these peptides in bone remodelling. It was anticipated that deletions of the CT/alpha-CGRP and CTR genes would lead to bone loss, since CT has been shown to inhibit bone resorption in vitro and in vivo and has been used to treat patients with excessive bone resorption. Surprisingly, it was found that CT/alpha-CGRP-/- and CTR+/- mice have increased bone mass due to increased bone formation. Mice with deletion of the amylin gene, however, exhibited bone loss due to enhanced bone resorption. Selective deletion of the alpha-CGRP gene also leads to bone loss, but due to decreased bone formation. Thus, our understanding of the role of the CT family of peptides has been changed dramatically and much more data have to be gained before we fully understand the roles these peptides have in bone biology.
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PMID:Deletions of genes encoding calcitonin/alpha-CGRP, amylin and calcitonin receptor have given new and unexpected insights into the function of calcitonin receptors and calcitonin receptor-like receptors in bone. 1667 92


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