Effects of magnesium sulfate on neuron apoptosis and expression of caspase-3, bax and bcl-2 after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of magnesium sulfate on neuron apoptosis and the expressions of caspase-3, bax and bcl-2 after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.


METHODS
Thirty-six gerbils were randomly divided into three groups: Sham-operation group (So, n = 12), ischemia-reperfusion group (I-R, n = 12) and magnesium sulfate group (Ms, n = 12). The neuron apoptosis was detected by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP-fluorescence nick end labeling (TUNEL stain), and the protein expressions of caspase-3, bax and bcl-2 were detected by immunohistochemisty stain.


RESULTS
Apoptotic neurons and the expressions of caspase-3 and bax were significantly increased in I-R and Ms groups, compared with those in So group. Apoptotic neurons and the expressions of bax and caspase-3 in Ms group were significantly less than those in I-R group. There was no significant difference in the expression of bcl-2 among three groups.


CONCLUSIONS
Magnesium sulfate decreases neuron apoptosis after cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, which may be related with the suppressed expressions of caspase-3 and bax.
Department of Anesthesiology, the Second Affiliated Hospital, Medical College of Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310009, China. zhouhy@hz.cn
Haiyan
H
Zhou
Yuefeng
Y
Ma
Yifeng
Y
Zhou
Ziming
Z
Liu
Kai
K
Wang
Gang
G
Chen
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases / Q000032:analysis*; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005849:Gerbillinae; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000032:analysis*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000032:analysis*; D011897:Random Allocation; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein
D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D008278:Magnesium Sulfate; D053148:Caspase 3; D020169:Caspases