Regulation of hypoxia-inducible factor 1alpha and induction of vascular endothelial growth factor in a rat neonatal stroke model

Stroke is a devastating condition occurring in at least 1 in 4000 live births in the neonatal period. Since hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha can modulate ischemic injury via induction of target genes that may protect cells against ischemia, and is induced after preconditioning by hypoxia in the neonatal rat brain hypoxia-ischemia model, we evaluated whether HIF-1alpha is induced after focal ischemia-reperfusion, a model for neonatal stroke. We developed an ischemia-reperfusion model in postnatal day 10 (P10) rats by transiently occluding the middle cerebral artery (MCA) for 1.5 h. The MCA territory was reperfused for 0, 4, 8, or 24 h and the expression of HIF-1alpha and its target gene, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), were delineated. HIF-1alpha protein and VEGF protein peaked at 8 h, and declined subsequently at 24 h in injured cortex following 1.5 h of MCA occlusion. Double-immunolabeling indicated that both HIF-1alpha and VEGF are expressed together in neurons with a similar time course of expression. The presence of HIF-1alpha and VEGF after moderate ischemia-reperfusion injury suggests potential avenues to exploit for neuroprotection.     

去铁敏预处理通过增加缺氧诱导因子1α和促红细胞生成素的表达减轻大鼠缺血性脑损伤

目的观察去铁敏（Desferoxamine,DFO）预处理后大鼠脑组织和体外培养神经元中缺氧诱导因子1α（hypoxia inducible factor1α,HIF-1α）和促红细胞生成素（erythropoietin,EPO）表达的变化,探讨预处理是否对体内及体外的脑缺血损伤的具有保护效应。方法去铁敏预处理大鼠后不同时间点制作大脑中动脉阻塞（middle cerebral artery occlusion,MCAO）模型,术后24h后处死动物。采用神经功能评分（neurological severity scores,NSS）和计算梗死体积（TTC染色）评价DFO的脑保护效应,细胞活力测定评价DFO对缺氧缺糖条件下（oxygen-glucosede privation,OGD）皮层神经元的保护效应。免疫荧光染色检测HIF-1α和EPO蛋白表达情况。结果与生理盐水对照组比较,去铁敏预处理后2d,MCAO大鼠出现梗塞面积缩小,神经功能损伤减轻,在预处理后3d达到高峰,7d仍然有效,14d去铁敏预处理的保护效应消失。去铁敏对OGD神经元同样具有神经保护作用：与未进行预处理的神经元细胞相比,预处理后8h的细胞活力增加23％,12h增加34％,24h增加40％,36h增加48％,48h增加56％（P〈0．05）。免疫荧光染色发现,大鼠脑组织的HIF-1α和EPO在去铁敏预处理后3d及7d表达上调;皮层神经元细胞的HIF-1α和EPO在去铁敏预处理后36h及48h表达上调。结论去铁敏预处理有确切有效的脑保护效应,不仅可以预防脑缺血损伤,对体外培养的OGD皮层神经元细胞损伤也具有保护作用,其机制可能与脑神经细胞的HIF-1α和EPO蛋白表达增加有关。     

Normobaric hypoxia induces tolerance to focal permanent cerebral ischemia in association with an increased expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1 and its target genes, erythropoietin and VEGF, in the adult mouse brain.

Tolerance to cerebral ischemia is achieved by preconditioning sublethal stresses, such as ischemia or hypoxia, paradigms in which the decrease of O2 availability may constitute an early signal inducing tolerance. In accordance with this concept, this study shows that hypoxia induces tolerance against focal permanent ischemia in adult mice. Normobaric hypoxia (8% O2 of 1-hour, 3-hour, or 6-hour duration), performed 24 hours before ischemia, reduces infarct volume by approximately 30% when compared with controls. To elucidate the mechanisms underlying this neuroprotection, the authors investigated the effects of preconditioning on cerebral expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha) and its target genes, erythropoietin and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). Hypoxia, whatever its duration (1 hour, 3 hours, 6 hours), rapidly increases the nuclear content of HIF-1alpha as well as the mRNA levels of erythropoietin and VEGF. Furthermore, erythropoietin and VEGF are upregulated at the protein level 24 hours after 6 hours of hypoxia. The authors' findings show that (1) hypoxia elicits a delayed, short-lasting (<72 hours) tolerance to focal permanent ischemia in the adult mouse brain; (2) HIF-1 target genes could contribute to the establishment of tolerance; and (3) this model might be a useful paradigm to further study the mechanisms of ischemic tolerance, to identify new therapeutic targets for stroke.     

缺氧诱导因子-1α在脑缺血后对内源性神经干细胞作用的研究进展

目前脑缺血后促进内源性神经干细胞(neural stem cells,NSCs)再生的影响因素已成为神经病学研究的热点。近年来,有实验证明一些相关因子在脑梗死后缺血缺氧条件下被高度表达并参与了脑组织损伤的修复过程,如缺氧诱导因子-1α(hypoxia-inducible factor-1α,HIF-1α)。许多研究利用大鼠脑缺血模型进行免疫组化和蛋白印迹分析来评估内源性NSCs与HIF-1α早期表达的关系,结果表明在缺血造成的内环境中,HIF-1α的早期表达能够使内源性NSCs促进神经细胞的再生。而且脑梗死后,HIF-1α在缺血缺氧的环境中高度表达并发挥神经保护作用,为脑损伤的修复提供了有利的基础条件。