title: Involvement of gamma protein kinase C in estrogen-induced neuroprotection against focal brain ischemia through G protein-coupled estrogen receptor.
abstract: The neuroprotective effects of estrogen were studied in the ischemic model mice by 90 min transient unilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) followed by 22.5 h reperfusion. The total infarct size in C57BL/6 female mice after MCAO and reperfusion was significantly smaller than that in male mice. Intraperitoneal injection of estrogen after the start of reperfusion significantly reduced the infarct volume in the male mice. However, no significant gender difference was found in total infarct size in gamma protein kinase C (PKC)-knockout mice, suggesting that the neuroprotective effects of estrogen are due to the activation of a specific subtype of PKC, gammaPKC, a neuron-specific PKC subtype, in the brain. We demonstrated that exogenous estrogen-induced neuroprotection was attenuated in gammaPKC-knockout mice. Immunocytochemical study showed that gammaPKC was translocated to nerve fiber-like structures when observed shortly after MCAO and reperfusion. We also visualized the rapid and reversible translocation of gammaPKC-GFP (green fluorescent protein) by estrogen stimulation in living CHO-K1 cells. These results suggest that the activation of gammaPKC through the G-protein-coupled estrogen receptors on the plasma membrane is involved in the estrogen-induced neuroprotection against focal brain ischemia.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Molecular Pharmacology, Biosignal Research Center, Kobe University, Nada-ku, Japan.
authors.forename: Shigeto
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hayashi
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueyama
authors.forename: Taketoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kajimoto
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yagi
authors.forename: Eiji
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kohmura
authors.forename: Naoaki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saito
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose; D015153:Blotting, Western / Q000379:methods; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D016466:CHO Cells; D006224:Cricetinae; D003412:Cricetulus; D004958:Estradiol / Q000627:therapeutic use; D004967:Estrogens / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D007150:Immunohistochemistry / Q000379:methods; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D018345:Mice, Knockout; D018613:Microscopy, Confocal / Q000379:methods; D009460:Neurologic Examination / Q000379:methods; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000172:deficiency / Q000502:physiology*; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000502:physiology*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000502:physiology; D012737:Sex Factors; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D004967:Estrogens; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D013778:Tetrazolium Salts; D004958:Estradiol; C009591:triphenyltetrazolium; C087857:protein kinase C gamma; D011493:Protein Kinase C