Transient Brain Ischaemia Provokes Ca2+, PIP2 and Calpain Responses Prior to Delayed Neuronal Death in Monkeys

To clarify the mechanism of postischaemic delayed cornu Ammonis (CA)-1 neuronal death, we studied correlations among calpain activation and its subcellular localization, the immunoreactivity of phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate (PIP₂) and Ca²⁺ mobilization in the monkey hippocampus by two independent experimental approaches: in vivo transient brain ischaemia and in vitro hypoxia-hypoglycaemia of hippocampal acute slices. The CA-1 sector undergoing 20 min of ischaemia in vivo showed microscopically a small number of neuronal deaths on day 1 and almost global neuronal loss on day 5 after ischaemia. Immediately after ischaemia, CA-1 neurons ultrastructurally showed vacuolation and/or disruption of the lysosomes. Western blotting using antibodies against inactivated or activated μ-calpain demonstrated μ-calpain activation specifically in the CA-1 sector immediately after ischaemia. This finding was confirmed in the perikarya of CA-1 neurons by immunohistochemistry. CA-1 neurons on day 1 showed sustained activation of μ-calpain, and increased immunostaining for inactivated and activated forms of μ- and m-calpains and for PIP₂. Activated μ-calpain and PIP₂ were found to be localized at the vacuolated lysosomal membrane or endoplasmic reticulum and mitochondrial membrane respectively, by immunoelectron microscopy. Calcium imaging data using hippocampal acute slices showed that hypoxia-hypoglycaemia in vitro provoked intense Ca²⁺ mobilization with increased PIP₂ immunostaining specifically in CA-1 neurons. These data suggest that transient brain ischaemia increases intracellular Ca²⁺ and PIP₂ breakdown, which will activate calpain proteolytic activity. Therefore, we suggest that activated calpain at the lysosomal membrane, with the possible release of biodegrading enzyme, will cause postischaemic CA-1 neuronal death.     

Differential effect of oestrogen on post‐exercise cardiac muscle myeloperoxidase and calpain activities in female rats

The effects of oestrogen administration on 1 h post‐exercise cardiac muscle myeloperoxidase (MPO) and calpain activities were determined in female rats. Rats were ovariectomized and implanted for 2 weeks with either oestrogen (25 mg 17‐oestradiol) or placebo pellets or left with ovaries intact. Rats were then run for 1 h at 21 m min^–1, 12% grade, killed 1 h post‐exercise and cardiac muscle and blood samples were removed. Control animals from each group were killed without prior exercise. Serum oestrogen levels in the order of the highest to lowest were; ovariectomized oestrogen replaced rats > intact ovaries rats > ovariectomized placebo rats. Oestrogen induced significant (P < 0.05) elevations in cardiac MPO activity at rest and at 1 h post‐exercise in ovariectomized rats. No significant elevations in cardiac MPO activity were evident in placebo ovariectomized or normal ovary rats at rest or post‐exercise. Cardiac calpain activities were similar in all unexercised groups. Ovariectomized placebo and intact ovary rats had significantly (P < 0.05) elevated cardiac calpain activities 1 h post‐exercise while calpain activity was not significantly elevated in hearts from ovariectomized oestrogen rats. These results demonstrate that oestrogen supplementation in ovariectomized rats induces elevations in cardiac muscle MPO activities at rest and at 1 h post‐exercise. This is opposite to the effect of oestrogen in post‐exercise skeletal muscle and implies a greater neutrophil infiltration into cardiac muscle caused by oestrogen. This effect cannot be explained by changes in 1 h post‐exercise cardiac muscle calpain activity, the elevation of which was suppressed by oestrogen administration. Oestrogen influences cardiac calpain activity similarly to its effect in skeletal muscle. Thus, oestrogen administration to ovariectomized rats induces elevations in cardiac MPO activity while suppressing cardiac calpain activity.     

Cleavage of integrin by mu-calpain during hypoxia in human endometrial cells

PROBLEM: The distribution and activation of mu-calpain and possible cleavage of integrin in human endometrial cells under hypoxic condition were investigated. METHOD OF STUDY: Human endometrial epithelial and stromal cells were subjected to hypoxia, and subsequently used for immunostaining and western blot analysis. RESULTS: The proform of mu-calpain was detected in the cytoplasm of normal cells, and displayed a substantial decrease after hypoxia. Conversely, the active form of mu-calpain was not detected in normal cells, but was abundant after hypoxia. The cytoplasmic domain of integrin beta3 was also detected in the cytoplasm of endometrial cells. Western blot analysis confirmed that both the proform of mu-calpain and the integrin beta3 cytoplasmic domain decreased during hypoxia. CONCLUSIONS: Mu-calpain is activated in human endometrial cells during hypoxia and that subsequent cleavage of the integrin beta3 cytoplasmic domain may give some adverse effects to the function of human endometrium.     

Calpain inhibition but not reticulum endoplasmic stress preconditioning protects rat kidneys from p-aminophenol toxicity.

p-Aminophenol (pAP, 225 mg/kg) administration to rats induced renal failure and has been associated with markers of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, as well as calpain and caspase-12 activation in kidneys. To determine the importance of ER stress and calpain during pAP-induced nephrotoxicity, rats were pretreated with low, nontoxic, doses of ER stress inducers or with the selective calpain inhibitor PD150606 (3 mg/kg). Prior ER stress induced by tunicamycin and oxidized dithiothreitol did not result in protection against renal failure, but PD150606 administration was protective and decreased significantly the rise in creatinine and blood urea nitrogen observed after 24-h post-pAP administration. pAP-induced XBP1 upregulation was not modified by calpain inhibition, but a trend to lower GRP94 induction was determined, suggesting that pAP-induced ER stress was mostly calpain independent. In contrast, pAP-induced caspase-12 cleavage products were significantly decreased with PD150606 pretreatment, demonstrating that caspase-12 activation was calpain dependent. This study reveals the importance of calpain in pAP-induced renal failure. Further research with other nephrotoxicants needs to be performed to determine if calpain activation is a common feature of drug-induced renal failure.     

日本血吸虫Calpain疫苗候选分子抗感染的免疫机制

目的探讨日本血吸虫疫苗候选分子—钙离子激活的中性蛋白激酶(Calpain)的保护性免疫力和免疫保护性机制。方法用重组纯化的Calpain抗原免疫BALB/c小鼠,制备抗Calpain血清,抗Calpain血清与机械转化的日本血吸虫童虫和来自于同种鼠激活的嗜酸性粒细胞共同培养,观察细胞对血吸虫童虫的粘附及对童虫的杀伤效果;RT-PCR分析Calpain抗原免疫BALB/c小鼠一氧化氮激酶(iNos.eNos.nNos)mRNA的表达;ELISA分析免疫小鼠体外培养脾细胞产生的细胞因子IFN-γ和IL-4。结果重组Calpain抗原免疫小鼠后,产生了一个极高的抗Calpain特异性抗体,此抗体介导了同种鼠的嗜酸性粒细胞对日本血吸虫童虫的粘附,37℃、5%CO2培养48h后,33.8%的日本血吸虫童虫被杀死,与控制组14.5%的自然死亡率相比有一个显著性的增高(P<0.01);RT-PCR测定重组Calpain抗原免疫1周小鼠iNosmRNA的表达显著性的增强,培养24h脾细胞上清中IFN-γ浓度高于对照组。结论Calpain特异性抗体介导了对日本血吸虫童虫的细胞毒作用,Calpain抗原能够诱导IFN-γ的产生,提示Calpain诱导Th1的免疫应答反应来抗日本血吸虫的感染。     

脊髓损伤中钙蛋白酶的作用

脊髓损伤后可发生不同程度的神经坏死和组织变性,导致脊髓神经功能障碍。脊髓继发性损伤过程中钙蛋白酶(calpain)在脊髓损伤中发挥重要作用。Calpain为一Ca2+依赖性半胱氨酸蛋白酶,该酶包括2种同分异构体μ-calpain和m-calpain,分别由微摩尔和毫摩尔浓度的Ca2+激活。细胞内calpain以非活性酶原形式存在,细胞内游离Ca2+浓度升高后,calpain酶原被活化,引起calpain活化后一系列分子生物化学的改变,在脊髓引起细胞凋亡或损伤。应用calpain的特异性抑制剂进行干预后,脊髓calpain的表达和活性受到抑制,脊髓的病理改变和细胞凋亡得到缓解,神经功能得以保护。该文将calpain在脊髓损伤发展过程中的作用作一综述。     

钙蛋白酶参与tau蛋白过度磷酸化和截断的机制研究进展

阿尔茨海默病(AD)是最常见的神经退行性疾病之一,临床表现为认知和记忆功能障碍。钙蛋白酶(calpain)在细胞中广泛地被激活,钙蛋白酶的紊乱会引起AD病理学中tau蛋白过度磷酸化和tau蛋白的异常剪切。钙蛋白酶通过影响糖原合成酶激酶3和蛋白磷酸酶2A的活性,从而使tau蛋白多个位点发生异常过度磷酸化,并且介导tau蛋白单体的截断,诱导神经变性。钙蛋白酶有望成为AD药物治疗的潜在靶点。     

Systematic spatiotemporal mapping reveals divergent cell death pathways in three mouse models of hereditary retinal degeneration

Calcium (Ca²⁺) dysregulation has been linked to neuronal cell death, including in hereditary retinal degeneration. Ca²⁺ dysregulation is thought to cause rod and cone photoreceptor cell death. Spatial and temporal heterogeneities in retinal disease models have hampered validation of this hypothesis. We examined the role of Ca²⁺ in photoreceptor degeneration, assessing the activation pattern of Ca²⁺-dependent calpain proteases, generating spatiotemporal maps of the entire retina in the cpfl1 mouse model for primary cone degeneration, and in the rd1 and rd10 models for primary rod degeneration. We used Gaussian process models to distinguish the temporal sequences of degenerative molecular processes from other variability sources.In the rd1 and rd10 models, spatiotemporal pattern of increased calpain activity matched the progression of primary rod degeneration. High calpain activity coincided with activation of the calpain-2 isoform but not with calpain-1, suggesting differential roles for both calpain isoforms. Primary rod loss was linked to upregulation of apoptosis-inducing factor, although only a minute fraction of cells showed activity of the apoptotic marker caspase-3. After primary rod degeneration concluded, caspase-3 activation appeared in cones, suggesting apoptosis as the dominant mechanism for secondary cone loss. Gaussian process models highlighted calpain activity as a key event during primary rod photoreceptor cell death. Our data suggest a causal link between Ca²⁺ dysregulation and primary, nonapoptotic degeneration of photoreceptors and a role for apoptosis in secondary degeneration of cones, highlighting the importance of the spatial and temporal location of key molecular events, which may guide the evaluation of new therapies.     

半胱氨酸蛋白酶抑制剂减少大鼠脑缺血模型Calpain的表达

目的研究半胱氨酸蛋白酶Caspase-3抑制剂Ac-DEVD-CMK及Calpain抑制剂ALLN干预治疗对大鼠局灶性脑缺血／再灌注模型Calpain表达的影响。方法大鼠随机分为经左侧侧脑室注射Ac-DEVD-CMK（DEVD组）、ALLN（ALLN组）、二者联合（DEVD＋ALLN组）或溶剂二甲基亚砜组（DMSO组），以及缺血对照组（MCAO组），诱导左侧MCA缺血2h，再灌注24或48h；再灌注24h进行TTC染色观察梗死灶的形成情况；分别通过原位杂交和免疫组化技术检测鼠脑中Calpain mRNA及活性蛋白的表达。结果DMSO组的各项指标与MCAO组差异无显著性；DEVD组或ALLN组缺血侧脑中Calpain mRNA及活性蛋白的表达均明显减少，二者合用作用最强。结论Caspase-3与Calpain均在缺血性脑损伤中起重要作用，针对它们进行治疗干预具有潜在的临床应用价值。     

Two region‐dependent pathways of eosinophilic neuronal death after transient cerebral ischemia

Various types of eosinophilic neurons (ENs) are found in the post‐ischemic brain. We examined the temporal profile of ENs in the core and peripheral regions of the ischemic cortex, and analyzed the relationship to the expression of various cell death‐related factors. Unilateral forebrain ischemia was induced in Mongolian gerbils by transient common carotid artery occlusions, and the brains from 3 h to 2 weeks post‐ischemia were prepared for morphometric and immunohistochemical analysis of ENs. ENs with minimally abnormal nuclei and swollen cell bodies appeared at 3 h in the ischemic core and at 12 h in the periphery. In both locations multiple cell death‐related factors including calcium, µ‐calpain, cathepsin D, 78 kDa glucose‐regulated protein (GRP78) and ubiquitin were activated. In the ischemic core, pyknosis and irregularly atrophic cytoplasm peaked at 12 h, which was associated with significant increases in staining for calcium and µ‐calpain. ENs with pyknosis and scant cytoplasm peaked at 4 days and were positive for TUNEL and calcium staining. In the ischemic periphery, ENs had slightly atrophic cytoplasm and sequentially developed pyknosis, karyorrhexis and karyolysis over 1 week. These cells were positive for TUNEL and calcium staining. All types of EN were negative for caspase 3. There may be two region‐dependent pathways of EN changes in the post‐ischemic brain: pyknosis with cytoplasmic shrinkage in the core, and nuclear disintegration with slightly atrophic cytoplasm in the periphery. This difference coordinates different activation patterns of cell death‐related factors in ENs.