title: Limb ischemic preconditioning attenuates apoptosis of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 hippocampus induced by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of limb ischemic preconditioning (LIP) on apoptosis of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 hippocampus induced by global cerebral ischemia-reperfusion in rats. Forty-six rats whose bilateral vertebral arteries were occluded permanently were assigned to one of four groups: sham group, limb ischemia group, cerebral ischemia group and LIP group. LIP was performed by occluding the bilateral femoral arteries for 10 min 3 times in an interval of 10 min. Global cerebral ischemia was underwent by occluding the bilateral common carotid arteries for 8 min immediately after LIP. Assays for apoptosis of the hippocampal neurons were biologically and morphologically performed using gel electrophoresis, TUNEL and AO/EB staining. Characteristic DNA ladder was clearly visualized with gel electrophoresis in the hippocampus in cerebral ischemia group, but not in LIP group. The number of TUNEL-positive cells in the CA1 hippocampus was significantly reduced by LIP from 69.8+/-12 (cerebral ischemia group) to 17.8+/-5.8 (P<0.01). AO/EB staining also showed a reduction of apoptosis in LIP group compared with cerebral ischemia group. These results suggest that LIP can inhibit hippocampal neuronal apoptosis induced by cerebral ischemia-reperfusion, which contributes to the protection against the delayed neuronal death induced by cerebral ischemic insult.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology, Institute of Basic Medicine, Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050017, China.
authors.forename: Hong-Gang
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Wen-Bin
authors.initials: WB
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Qing-Jun
authors.initials: QJ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Xiao-Ling
authors.initials: XL
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Hui-Qing
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Rong-Fang
authors.initials: RF
authors.lastname: Feng
authors.forename: Jie
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ai
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000502:physiology; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning / Q000379:methods; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000098:blood supply*; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000473:pathology; D017966:Pyramidal Cells / Q000473:pathology; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000517:prevention & control*