• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.281-296
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• 2021

The beneficial effects of hypoxic preconditioning are abolished in the diabetes. The present study was designed to investigate the protective effects and mechanisms of repeated episodes of whole body hypoxic preconditioning (WBHP) in db/db mice. The protective effects of preconditioning were explored on diabetes-induced vascular dysfunction, cognitive impairment and ischemia-reperfusion (IR)-induced increase in myocardial injury. Sixteen-week old db/db (diabetic) and C57BL/6 (non-diabetic) mice were employed. There was a significant impairment in cognitive function (Morris Water Maze test), endothelial function (acetylcholine-induced relaxation in aortic rings) and a significant increase in IR-induced heart injury (Langendorff apparatus) in db/db mice. WBHP stimulus was given by exposing mice to four alternate cycles of low (8%) and normal air O₂ for 10 min each. A single episode of WBHP failed to produce protection; however, two and three episodes of WBHP significantly produced beneficial effects on the heart, brain and blood vessels. There was a significant increase in the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and nitric oxide (NO) in response to 3 episodes of WBHP. Moreover, pretreatment with the BDNF receptor, TrkB antagonist (ANA-12) and NO synthase inhibitor (L-NAME) attenuated the protective effects imparted by three episodes of WBHP. These pharmacological agents abolished WBHP-induced restoration of p-GSK-3β/GSK-3β ratio and Nrf2 levels in IR-subjected hearts. It is concluded that repeated episodes of WHBP attenuate cognitive impairment, vascular dysfunction and enhancement in IR-induced myocardial injury in diabetic mice be due to increase in NO and BDNF levels that may eventually activate GSK-3β and Nrf2 signaling pathway to confer protection.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
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• v.50 no.6
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• pp.481-485
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• 2011

Objective : The purpose of this study is to investigate serial changes of hypoxia-inducible factor $1{\alpha}$ (HIF-$1{\alpha}$), as a key regulator of hypoxic ischemia, and apoptosis of hippocampus induced by bilateral carotid arteries occlusion (BCAO) in rats. Methods : Adult male Wistar rats were subjected to the permanent BCAO. The time points studied were 1, 2, 4, 8, and 12 weeks after occlusions, with n=6 animals subjected to BCAO, and n=2 to sham operation at each time point, and brains were fixed by intracardiac perfusion fixation with 4% neutral-buffered praraformaldehyde for brain section preparation. Immunohistochemistry (IHC), western blot and terminal uridine deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) assay were performed to evaluate HIF-$1{\alpha}$ expression and apoptosis. Results : In IHC and western blot, HIF-$1{\alpha}$ levels were found to reach the peak at the 2nd week in the hippocampus, while apoptotic neurons, in TUNEL assay, were maximal at the 4th week in the hippocampus, especially in the cornu ammonis 1 (CA1) region. HIF-$1{\alpha}$ levels and apoptosis were found to fluctuate during the time course. Conclusion : This study showed that BCAO induces acute ischemic responses for about 4 weeks then chronic ischemia in the hippocampus. These in vivo data are the first to show the temporal sequence of apoptosis and HIF-$1{\alpha}$ expression.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.217-223
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• 2011

Ischemic stroke constitutes about 80% of all stroke incidences. It is characterized by brain cell death in a region where cerebral arteries supplying blood are occluded. Under these ischemic conditions, apoptosis is responsible for the cell death, at least in part. Goat's-beard (Aruncus dioicus var. kamtschaticus) is a perennial plant that grows naturally in the alpine regions of Korea. In the present study, we first determined whether water extract of goat's-beard (HY1646) and some of its fractions prepared by partitioning with organic solvents could improve the viability of human hepatocellular carcinoma cells (HepG2) cultured under hypoxic condition by blocking apoptotic pathways. Based on the in vitro findings, we subsequently investigated whether HY1646 and the ethyl acetate fraction (EA) selected from cell culture-based screening could attenuate brain injury in a rat middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of ischemia (2 hr), followed by 22 hours of reperfusion. The cell number was sustained close to that initially plated in the presence of HY1646 even after 24 hr of cell culture under hypoxic condition (3% $O_2$), at which time the cell number reached almost zero in the absence of HY1646. This improvement in cell viability was attributed to the delay in apoptosis, identified by the formation of DNA ladder in gel electrophoresis. Of fractions soluble in hexane, ethyl acetate (EA) and butanol, EA was chosen for the animal experiments because EA demonstrated the best cell viability at the lowest concentration (10 ${\mu}g$/mL). HY1646 (200 mg/kg) and EA (10 and 20 mg/kg) significantly reduced infarct size, an index of brain injury, by 16.6, 40.0 and 61.0%, respectively, as assessed by 2,3,5-triphenyl tetrazolium chloride staining. The findings suggest that prophylactic intake of goat's beard might be beneficial for preventing ischemic stroke.

• The Korean Journal of Physiology and Pharmacology
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• v.11 no.2
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• pp.45-55
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• 2007

We elucidated the effects of various components of ischemic medium on the outcome of simulated ischemia-reperfusion injury. Hypoxia for up to 12 hours induced neither apoptotic bodies nor LDH release. However, reoxygenation after 6 or 12 hours of hypoxia resulted in a marked LDH release along with morphological changes compatible with oncotic cell death. H9c2 cells were then subjected to 6 hours of simulated ischemia by exposing them to modified hypoxic glucose-free Krebs-Henseleit buffer. Lowered pH (pH 6.4) of simulated-ischemic buffer resulted in the generation of apoptotic bodies during ischemia, with no concomitant LDH release. The degree of reperfusion-induced LDH release was not affected by the pH of ischemic buffer. Removal of sodium bicarbonate from the simulated ischemic buffer markedly increased cellular damages during both the simulated ischemia and reperfusion. Addition of lactate to the simulated ischemic buffer increased apoptotic cell death during the simulated ischemia. Most importantly, concomitant acidosis and high lactate concentration in ischemic buffer augmented the reperfusion-induced oncotic cell death. These results confirmed the influences of acidosis, bicarbonate deprivation and lactate on the progression and outcome of the simulated ischemia-reperfusion, and also demonstrated that concomitant acidosis and high lactate concentration in simulated ischemic buffer contribute to the development of reperfusion injury.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.311-317
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• 2008

Pathophysiological oxidative stress results in neuronal cell death mainly due to the generation reactive oxygen species (ROS). In low oxygen situation such as hypoxia and ischemia, excessive ROS is generated. Coptidis Rhizoma (CR) is a traditional medicine used for the incipient stroke. In this report we show that CR water extracts $(1\;{\mu}g/ml)$ exhibited protective effects of neuronal cell death in a hypoxic model (2% $O_2/5%\;CO_2,\;37^{\circ}C,$ 3 hr) of cultured rat cortical cells. We further show that CR water extracts significantly reduced the intensity of green fluorescence after staining with $H_2DCF-DA$ on one hour and three days after hypoxic shock and in normoxia as well. Our results indicate that CR water extracts prevent neuronal death by suppressing ROS generation.

• BMB Reports
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• v.35 no.1
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• pp.67-86
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• 2002

Three routes have been identified triggering neuronal death under physiological and pathological conditions. Excess activation of ionotropic glutamate receptors cause influx and accumulation of $Ca^{2+}$ and $Na^+$ that result in rapid swelling and subsequent neuronal death within a few hours. The second route is caused by oxidative stress due to accumulation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species. Apoptosis or programmed cell death that often occurs during developmental process has been coined as additional route to pathological neuronal death in the mature nervous system. Evidence is being accumulated that excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and apoptosis propagate through distinctive and mutually exclusive signal transduction pathway and contribute to neuronal loss following hypoxic-ischemic brain injury. Thus, the therapeutic intervention of hypoxic-ischemic neuronal injury should be aimed to prevent excitotoxicity, oxidative stress, and apoptosis in a concerted way.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
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• v.39 no.2
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• pp.141-145
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• 2005

Hypoxia (decreased tissue oxygen tension) is a component of many diseases such as tumors, cerebrovascular diseases and ischemic heart diseases. Although hypoxia can be secondary to a low inspired $pO_2$ or a variety of lung disorders, the most common cause is ischemia due to an oxygen demand greater than the local oxygen supply. In the heart tissue, hypoxia is often observed in persistent low-flow states, such as hibernating myocardium. Direct "hot spot" imaging of myocardial tissue hypoxia is potentially of great clinical importance because it may provide a means of identifying dysfunctional chronically ischemic but viable hibernating myocardium. A series of radiopharmaceuticals that incorporate nitroimidazole moieties have been synthesized to detect decreased local tissue pO2. In contrast to agents that localize in proportion to perfusion, these agents concentrate in hypoxic tissue. However, the ideal agents are not developed yet and the progress is very slow. Furthermore, the research focus is on tumor hypoxia nowadays. This review introduces the myocardial hypoxia imaging with summarizing the development of radiopharmaceuticals.

• Journal of Oriental Neuropsychiatry
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.177-197
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• 2009

Objectives : Gliosis disturbs recovery of damaged astrocytes following central nervous system(CNS) injury. Gliosis relates to up-regulation of CD81 and GFAP. In glial cells at injured CNS, the expression of CD81 and GFAP is increased. It is possible that when the gliosis formation is suppressed, regeneration of oxons can occur. According to the recent study, the treatment with anti CD81 antibodies enhanced functional recovery in rats with spinal injury. So, the author studies the effect of water extract of Radix Ginseng on regulation of CD81 and GFAP with CNS injury. Methods : In the cell study, hypoxic damage was induced by CoC12. And according to Longa et al, cerebral ischemia was made by middle cerebral artery occlusion in the rat. Cross sections of rat brain were examined under microscope. MTT analysis was performed to examine cell viability, cell based ELISA, Western Blot and PCR were used to detect the expression of CD81 and GFAP. Results : The following results were obtained. 1. We found that CD81 and GFAP were decreased in hypoxic injured cells following Radix Ginseng administration. 2. We injected the extract of Radix Ginseng to the middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats, and the immunohistochemistry analysis showed that CDS1 and GFAP were decreased. Conclusions : These results show that the extract of Radix Ginseng could suppress the gliosis formation and prevent cell death, by controlling the expression of CDS1 and GFAP. Therefore, Radix Ginseng could be a useful to regenerate CNS injury.

• Clinical and Experimental Pediatrics
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• v.60 no.6
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• pp.181-188
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• 2017

Purpose: Hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is a significant cause of neonatal morbidity and mortality. Erythropoietin (EPO) is emerging as a therapeutic candidate for neuroprotection. Therefore, this study was designed to determine the neuroprotective role of recombinant human EPO (rHuEPO) and the possible mechanisms by which mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway including extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK1/2), JNK, and p38 MAPK is modulated in cultured cortical neuronal cells and astrocytes. Methods: Primary neuronal cells and astrocytes were prepared from cortices of ICR mouse embryos and divided into the normoxic, hypoxia (H), and hypoxia-pretreated with EPO (H+EPO) groups. The phosphorylation of MAPK pathway was quantified using western blot, and the apoptosis was assessed by caspase-3 measurement and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay. Results: All MAPK pathway signals were activated by hypoxia in the neuronal cells and astrocytes (P<0.05). In the neuronal cells, phosphorylation of ERK-1/-2 and apoptosis were significantly decreased in the H+EPO group at 15 hours after hypoxia (P<0.05). In the astrocytes, phosphorylation of ERK-1/-2, p38 MAPK, and apoptosis was reduced in the H+EPO group at 15 hours after hypoxia (P<0.05). Conclusion: Pretreatment with rHuEPO exerts neuroprotective effects against hypoxic injury reducing apoptosis by caspase-dependent mechanisms. Pathologic, persistent ERK activation after hypoxic injury may be attenuateed by pretreatment with EPO supporting that EPO may regulate apoptosis by affecting ERK pathways.

• Molecules and Cells
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.403-412
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• 2022

Hypoxia leads to significant cellular stress that has diverse pathological consequences such as cardiovascular diseases and cancers. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are one of regulators of the adaptive pathway in hypoxia. We identified a hypoxia-induced miRNA, miR-34c, that was significantly upregulated in hypoxic human umbilical cord vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) and in murine blood vessels on day 3 of hindlimb ischemia (HLI). miR-34c directly inhibited BCL2 expression, acting as a toggle switch between apoptosis and autophagy in vitro and in vivo. BCL2 repression by miR-34c activated autophagy, which was evaluated by the expression of LC3-II. Overexpression of miR-34c inhibited apoptosis in HUVEC as well as in a murine model of HLI, and increased cell viability in HUVEC. Importantly, the number of viable cells in the blood vessels following HLI was increased by miR-34c overexpression. Collectively, our findings show that miR-34c plays a protective role in hypoxia, suggesting a novel therapeutic target for hypoxic and ischemic diseases in the blood vessels.