title: Survival- and death-promoting events after transient cerebral ischemia: phosphorylation of Akt, release of cytochrome C and Activation of caspase-like proteases.
abstract: Release of cytochrome c (cyt c) into cytoplasm initiates caspase-mediated apoptosis, whereas activation of Akt kinase by phosphorylation at serine-473 prevents apoptosis in several cell systems. To investigate cell death and cell survival pathways, the authors studied release of cyt c, activation of caspase, and changes in Akt phosphorylation in rat brains subjected to 15 minutes of ischemia followed by varying periods of reperfusion. The authors found by electron microscopic study that a portion of mitochondria was swollen and structurally altered, whereas the cell membrane and nuclei were intact in hippocampal CA1 neurons after 36 hours of reperfusion. In some neurons, the pattern of immunostaining for cyt c changed from a punctuate pattern, likely representing mitochondria, to a more diffuse cytoplasmic localization at 36 and 48 hours of reperfusion as examined by laser-scanning confocal microscopic study. Western blot analysis showed that cyt c was increased in the cytosolic fraction in the hippocampus after 36 and 48 hours of reperfusion. Consistently, caspase-3-like activity was increased in these hippocampal samples. As demonstrated by Western blot using phosphospecific Akt antibody, phosphorylation of Akt at serine-473 in the hippocampal region was highly increased during the first 24 hours but not at 48 hours of reperfusion. The authors conclude that transient cerebral ischemia activates both cell death and cell survival pathways after ischemia. The activation of Akt during the first 24 hours conceivably may be one of the factors responsible for the delay in neuronal death after global ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Neurochemistry, Center for the Study of Neurological Disease, The Queen's Medical Center, Honolulu, Hawaii 96813, USA.
authors.forename: Y B
authors.initials: YB
authors.lastname: Ouyang
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Comb
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: M E
authors.initials: ME
authors.lastname: Martone
authors.forename: B K
authors.initials: BK
authors.lastname: Siesjö
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015153:Blotting, Western; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000201:enzymology / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000378:metabolism*; D016923:Cell Death / Q000502:physiology; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology; D003374:Coumarins / Q000494:pharmacology; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D003574:Cytochrome c Group / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D003600:Cytosol / Q000201:enzymology; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism; D004789:Enzyme Activation / Q000502:physiology; D002546:Ischemic Attack, Transient / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000201:enzymology; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology; D010766:Phosphorylation; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases / Q000032:analysis / Q000378:metabolism*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000737:chemistry / Q000201:enzymology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar
chemical_list: C112287:Ac-aspartyl-glutamyl-valyl-aspartyl-aminomethylcoumarin; D003374:Coumarins; D015853:Cysteine Proteinase Inhibitors; D003574:Cytochrome c Group; D009842:Oligopeptides; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; C099158:acetyl-aspartyl-glutamyl-valyl-aspartal; D003576:Electron Transport Complex IV; C494920:Akt1 protein, rat; D017346:Protein Serine-Threonine Kinases; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases