title: Delayed oligodendrocyte degeneration induced by brief exposure to hydrogen peroxide.
abstract: An in vitro model system of cultured oligodendrocytes was used to determine the susceptibility of these cells to oxidative stress induced by 15 min exposure to millimolar concentrations of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2). Following the exposure, the cells were incubated in normal growth medium, and analyzed at different time points. Although no cell loss was observed during the exposure period, there was a progressive depletion of adherent cells during the postexposure period as seen from either the number of recoverable nuclei, or from total RNA content of the cultures. Both the rate and the extent of cell deletion was directly dependent on H2O2 concentration. Cell death was preceded by structural alterations in the nuclear envelope resulting in "fragile" nuclei which disintegrated during isolation. Northern blot analysis showed that the expression of myelin-specific genes was rapidly downregulated in H2O2-treated cells. On the other hand, the expression of antiapoptotic gene, bcl-2 featured massive but transient upregulation. Oligodendrocyte degeneration also featured genomic DNA degradation into high molecular weight fragments, which are likely to represent cleaved chromosomal loops. The results demonstrate vulnerability of oligodendrocytes to oxidative stress that induces rapid degeneration and ultimately leads to delayed cell death. This feature is highly relevant to oligodendrocyte damage and depletion following ischemic, traumatic, or inflammatory insults to the central nervous system (CNS).
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown 26505-9128, USA.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Laszkiewicz
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mouzannar
authors.forename: R C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Wiggins
authors.forename: G W
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Konat
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000235:genetics; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects*; D019254:Genes, bcl-2 / Q000187:drug effects*; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009836:Oligodendroglia / Q000187:drug effects*; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D006861:Hydrogen Peroxide