[Effect of hypoxia-ischemia on cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinases activity in cerebral tissue of neonatal rat].
OBJECTIVE
To study the effect of hypoxia-ischemia on cysteinyl aspartate-specific proteinases (caspase-3) activity in cerebral tissue of neonatal rat and probe into its significance.


METHODS
To induce hypoxio-ischemic brain damage (HIBD), the left carotid artery of rats at day 7 was ligated and animals were exposed to 8% oxygen for 2 hours. 0.5, 12, 24, and 48 hours after HIBD, both ipsilateral and contralateral cerebral tissue were ditected and homogenized, caspase-3 activity was measured by cleavage of the colorimetric substrate DEVD-pNA.


RESULTS
Caspase-3 activity in ipsilateral cerebral tissue increased gradually after HIBD and peaked at 24 hours, and then decreased significantly at 48 hours(P < 0.001). There were no significant changes in caspase-3 activity in the contralateral tissue at all time points (P > 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Significant activation of caspase-3 after cerebral hypoxia-ischemia strongly suggests that apoptosis is involved in HIBD. Application of caspase inhibitors or other anti-apoptotic agents may become a new therapeutics of HIBD.
Wu
M
M
Department of Obstetrics, Affiliated Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital, Faculty of Medicine, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310006, China.
Shi
Y
Y
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases / Q000378:metabolism*; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000201:enzymology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
D003546:Cysteine Endopeptidases