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Query: UMLS:C0917798 (cerebral ischemia)
 17,036 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Although nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to play an important role in the pathophysiology of cerebral ischemia, its contribution to the pathogenesis of experimentally induced thromboembolic stroke is unknown. In this study, we pharmacologically manipulated NO levels in the acute post-thrombotic stage and determined the effects on behavior and histopathology. The following drugs were used: nitro-L-arginine-methyl ester (L-NAME), a non-specific endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (eNOS and nNOS) inhibitor, 3-bromo-7-nitroindazole (7-NI), a specific inhibitor for nNOS, the NO precursor, exogenous L-arginine and the NO-donor, 3-morpholino-sydnonimine (SIN-1). Male Wistar rats (n = 76) were randomly assigned to receive vehicle or drug immediately after common carotid artery thrombosis (CCAT). Regional measurements of cortical NOS activity using the [3H]L-arginine to [3H]L-citrulline conversion assay were decreased 1 h after treatment with L-NAME and 7-NI by 50 and 65%, respectively; hippocampal NOS activity was reduced with L-NAME by 35% and with 7-NI by 65%. L-NAME significantly worsened forelimb placing as compared to other groups. 7-NI accelerated sensorimotor recovery. Water maze retention deficits were noted 48 h after CCAT and these were exacerbated by L-NAME treatment. Histopathological protection was conferred in the hippocampus by 7-NI and SIN-1; conversely, L-NAME increased neuronal injury in the contralateral cortex. L-arginine had no effect on these outcomes. In conclusion, both structural and functional consequences of CCAT can be aggravated by limiting endothelial NO production in the acutely post-thrombotic brain. In contrast, inhibition of nNOS and infusion of an NO donor has a beneficial effect on pathology.
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PMID:The role of nitric oxide in the pathophysiology of thromboembolic stroke in the rat. 921 60

In anesthetized piglets, endothelial and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (eNOS and nNOS, respectively) levels were investigated after global cerebral ischemia. Increased intracranial pressure was used to produce 5 or 10 minutes of global ischemia, which was verified visually by observing pial arteriolar blood flow and by a microsphere technique. At 4 to 6 hours of reperfusion, parietal cortex, hippocampus, and cerebellum were collected for immunohistochemical or immunoblot analysis. Immunohistochemical examination localized eNOS only to blood vessels and nNOS only to nonvascular cells, which were primarily neurons in all regions examined. Analysis of immunoblot data revealed significant increases in eNOS levels from 47 +/- 22 pixels/micrograms protein for time controls to 77 +/- 36 pixels/micrograms protein (75% increase) for ischemia in parietal cortex (n = 9 to 10) and 22 +/- 10 for control to 40 +/- 16 pixels/micrograms protein (40% increase) for ischemia in hippocampus (n = 7 to 8). Levels of eNOS in cerebellum also tended to be higher but were variable and not significant (n = 5 to 6). In contrast, changes in nNOS levels were not detected at 4 or 6 hours. The increase in eNOS levels detected on immunoblots also was apparent on tissue sections as an increase in intensity of staining. Cyclooxygenase-dependent mechanisms were investigated with respect to the ischemia-induced increase in eNOS levels. Pretreatment with the cyclooxygenase inhibitor indomethacin (5 mg/kg intravenously) abolished the ischemia-induced eNOS increase in parietal cortex and hippocampus (n = 7). Thus, we conclude that the eNOS response is rapid, specific to vessels, and involves an indomethacin-sensitive mechanism.
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PMID:Cerebral ischemia/reperfusion increases endothelial nitric oxide synthase levels by an indomethacin-sensitive mechanism. 942 9

Electron microscopy immunocytochemical study was performed to clarify ultrastructural localization and role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (EC-NOS) in the endothelial cells (EC) of rat hippocampal vessels after transient cerebral ischemia. EC-NOS immunoreactivity was found in the endothelial cells in association with plasma membrane, sub-plasmalemmal vesicles, basal membrane and in cytosol (cytoplasm free of subcellular organelles). A sharp transient increase in immunoreactivity of NOS was observed at 10 min up to 1 hour after ischemia. The results of the present study indicate that NO, as a potent vasodilator, may play a protective role in ischemic brain damage.
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PMID:Endothelial nitric oxide synthase in vascular endothelium of rat hippocampus after ischemia: evidence and significance. 959 52

All three major isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) are expressed in the brain. Because of complex and overlapping expression patterns (Marletta, 1994; Nathan and Xie, 1994), the particular NOS isoform involved in many processes is not clear. In fact, NO generated by separate isoforms may have different roles and potentially opposing effects (Iadecola et al., 1994). We have taken a genetic approach, to disrupt or knockout the genes for NOS isoforms to circumvent some of the limitations of pharmacologic agents. This approach allows the study of each individual NOS isoform in physiologic processes in the context of intact animals. It gives insights into possible developmental roles for NO and parallel processes that may compensate for the absence of each NOS isoform. We have made nNOS and eNOS knockout mice, as well as double knockout mice that lack both nNOS and eNOS isoforms (Huang et al., 1993; Huang et al., 1995; Son et al., 1996). In this chapter, we review some of the physiologic roles for NO that have been elucidated making use of these mice, including regulation of cerebral blood flow, response to cerebral ischemia, regulation of neurotransmitter release in the brain, and development of synaptic plasticity. Other chapters will discuss results using NOS knockout animals in studies of long term potentiation (see Hawkins, this volume), neuronal development (see Mize, this volume), and potential mechanisms for protection in nNOS knockout mice (Moskowitz, M.A.; Dawson, V.L, this volume).
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PMID:Genetic analysis of NOS isoforms using nNOS and eNOS knockout animals. 993 31

Nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of neuronal injury during cerebral ischemia. The endothelial and neuronal isoforms of nitric oxide synthase (eNOS, nNOS) generate NO, but NO generation from these two isoforms can have opposing roles in the process of ischemic injury. While increased NO production from nNOS in neurons can cause neuronal injury, endothelial NO production from eNOS can decrease ischemic injury by inducing vasodilation. However, the relative magnitude and time course of NO generation from each isoform during cerebral ischemia has not been previously determined. Therefore, electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy was applied to directly detect NO in the brain of mice in the basal state and following global cerebral ischemia induced by cardiac arrest. The relative amount of NO derived from eNOS and nNOS was accessed using transgenic eNOS(-/-) or nNOS(-/-) mice and matched wild-type control mice. NO was trapped using Fe(II)-diethyldithiocarbamate. In wild-type mice, only small NO signals were seen prior to ischemia, but after 10 to 20 min of ischemia the signals increased more than 4-fold. This NO generation was inhibited more than 70% by NOS inhibition. In either nNOS(-/-) or eNOS(-/-) mice before ischemia, NO generation was decreased about 50% compared to that in wild-type mice. Following the onset of ischemia a rapid increase in NO occurred in nNOS(-/-) mice peaking after only 10 min. The production of NO in the eNOS(-/-) mice paralleled that in the wild type with a progressive increase over 20 min, suggesting progressive accumulation of NO from nNOS following the onset of ischemia. NOS activity measurements demonstrated that eNOS(-/-) and nNOS(-/-) brains had 90% and < 10%, respectively, of the activity measured in wild type. Thus, while eNOS contributes only a fraction of total brain NOS activity, during the early minutes of cerebral ischemia prominent NO generation from this isoform occurs, confirming its importance in modulating the process of ischemic injury.
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PMID:Role of neuronal and endothelial nitric oxide synthase in nitric oxide generation in the brain following cerebral ischemia. 1052 26

Cerebral blood flow is regulated by endothelium-derived nitric oxide (NO), and endothelial NO synthase-deficient (eNOS-deficient; eNOS(-/-)) mice develop larger cerebral infarctions following middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. We report that disruption of Rho-mediated endothelial actin cytoskeleton leads to the upregulation of eNOS expression and reduces the severity of cerebral ischemia following MCA occlusion. Mice treated with the Rho inhibitor Clostridium botulinum C3 transferase (10 microgram/d) or the actin cytoskeleton disrupter cytochalasin D (1 mg/kg) showed a two- to fourfold increase in vascular eNOS expression and activity. This increase in eNOS expression was not due to increases in eNOS gene transcription, but to prolongation of eNOS mRNA half-life from 10 +/- 3 hours to 24 +/- 4 hours. Indeed, endothelial cells overexpressing a dominant-negative Rho mutant (N19RhoA) exhibited decreased actin stress fiber formation and increased eNOS expression. Inhibition of vascular Rho guanosine-5'-triphosphate binding activity by the 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor simvastatin increased cerebral blood flow to ischemic regions of the brain, and mice treated with simvastatin, C3 transferase, or cytochalasin D showed smaller cerebral infarctions following MCA occlusion. No neuroprotection was observed with these agents in eNOS(-/-) mice. These findings suggest that therapies which target the endothelial actin cytoskeleton may have beneficial effects in ischemic stroke.
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PMID:Neuroprotection mediated by changes in the endothelial actin cytoskeleton. 1088 44

Expressional patterns of the endothelial and neuronal forms of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) in cerebral ischemia were studied utilizing a permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (PMCAO) model. Motor performance and infarct volumes were determined in the rats. Immunohistochemical staining for eNOS, nNOS and neurofilament were performed at 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 and 14 days after PMCAO. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was determined by in-situ hybridization. PMCAO caused a reproducible cortical infarct with motor deficits in the rats. Double immunohistochemical stainings indicated that eNOS and nNOS were induced in ischemic neurons. Most stained neurons were positive for both NOS forms but some reacted with only one NOS antibody. nNOS expression peaked at 24-48 h after PMCAO, stained mainly the cytoplasm of core neurons, and disappeared after the 3rd day. eNOS expression increased until the 7th day, stained mainly the cytoplasm and membrane of penumbral cells and disappeared by the 14th day after PMCAO. VEGF expression was significantly induced in the penumbral zone in a similar distribution to eNOS. The anatomical and temporal pattern of VEGF and eNOS induction in the brain after permanent ischemia suggest that these mediators may play a role in protecting penumbral tissue from additional ischemic damage.
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PMID:Expression of endothelial nitric oxide synthase in the ischemic penumbra: relationship to expression of neuronal nitric oxide synthase and vascular endothelial growth factor. 1147 16

Although nitric oxide (NO) plays an important role in the pathophysiological process of cerebral ischemia or severe traumatic brain injury, its contribution to the pathogenesis of moderate diffuse axonal injury (mDAI) remains to be clarified. The alterations in nitric oxide synthase (NOS) activity and the histopathological response after mDAI was investigated. Forty anesthetized Sprague-Dawley adult rats were injured with a Marmarou's weight-drop device through a Plexiglas guide tube. These rats were divided into 8 groups (control, 1 hr, 2 hr, 3 hr, 6 hr, 12 hr, 24 hr, 48 hr after trauma). The temporal pattern of apoptosis in the adult rat brain after mDAI was characterized using TUNEL histochemistry. In addition, the cDNA for NOS activity was amplified using RT-PCR. The PCR products were electrophoresed on a 2% agarose gel. eNOS activity was not detected, but nNOS activity was expressed after 3 hr and continuously 48 hr after impact, which was approximately double that of the control group at 12 and 24 hr. Subsequently, there was a decrease in activity after 48 hr. The iNOS activity increased dramatically after 12 hr and was constant for a further 12 hr followed by a dramatic decrease below the level of the control group. Significant apoptotic changes occurred 12 and 24 hr. after insult. nNOS and iNOS activity were affected after moderate diffuse axonal injury in a time-dependent manner and there was a close relation between the apoptotic changes and NOS activity. Although the nNOS activity was expressed early, its activity was not stronger than iNOS, which was expressed later.
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PMID:Apoptotic change and NOS activity in the experimental animal diffuse axonal injury model. 1167 80

We report the effects of a newly developed NOS inhibitor on the neurotoxicity induced by NMDA on cultured fetal rat cortical neurons. To date, three different isoforms of NOS have been characterized. It has been considered that both neuronal NOS and inducible NOS activities are detrimental to the ischemic brain, whereas endothelial NOS plays a prominent role in maintaining cerebral blood flow and prevents neuronal injury during ischemia. ONO-1714 is a newly developed competitive NOS inhibitor that has selective inhibitory potency for iNOS than eNOS. However, its effect on nNOS has not been investigated yet. In this study, we investigated the neuroprotective effect of ONO-1714 on NMDA-induced neurotoxicity in our established model of primary cultured cortical neurons of rat foetus. Cortical neurons (prepared from E16 rat foetuses) were used after 13-14 days in culture. The cells were exposed to 30 muM NMDA for 24 h in the culture. To evaluate the neuroprotective effects of NOS inhibitors, ONO-1714 and L-NAME, neurons were exposed to various concentrations of an NOS inhibitor with 30 muM NMDA. The NMDA induced neurotoxicity was significantly attenuated by ONO-1714 in all concentrations, but not in low to moderate concentrations of L-NAME. These findings demonstrate that the neuroprotective effect of ONO-1714 was more potent than L-NAME. Moreover, ONO-1714 has a strong inhibitory effect on nNOS and would be a powerful tool for the protection of neurons against cerebral ischemia.
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PMID:The neuroprotective effect of ONO-1714 on NMDA-mediated cytotoxicity in vitro. 1456 25

This study investigated the possibility that hyperglycemia induces early expression of various superoxide dismutases (SOD) and nitric oxide synthases (NOS) following focal cerebral ischemia in the rat. MnSOD, CuZnSOD, nNOS and eNOS mRNA and protein expression were examined 3 h after permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion under acute hyperglycemic or normoglycemic conditions. 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride (TTC) treatment post-mortem revealed a significant area at risk of infarction following ischemia in hyperglycemic compared to normoglycemic rats. Although no changes in MnSOD, CuZnSOD, nNOS and eNOS mRNA expression were detected, Western blots of ischemic cortex revealed an increase in MnSOD and CuZnSOD protein expression in hyperglycemic compared to normoglycemic rats. Pre-treatment of hyperglycemic rats with the NOS inhibitors L-nitroarginine methyl ester (L-NAME) and 7-nitroindazole (7-NI) or dehydroascorbic acid (DHA), a superoxide scavenger, significantly reduced the TTC delineated zone. The hyperglycemia-induced post-transcriptional upregulation of MnSOD and CuZnSOD levels suggest a response to increased superoxide production which, in the presence of increased nitric oxide production, may play a major role in the increased risk of damage following hyperglycemic stroke.
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PMID:Expression of superoxide dismutase in hyperglycemic focal cerebral ischemia in the rat. 1538 Jun 26


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