title: Growth hormone-releasing peptide hexarelin reduces neonatal brain injury and alters Akt/glycogen synthase kinase-3beta phosphorylation.
abstract: Hexarelin (HEX) is a peptide GH secretagogue with a potent ability to stimulate GH secretion and recently reported cardioprotective actions. However, its effects in the brain are largely unknown, and the aim of the present study was to examine the potential protective effect of HEX on the central nervous system after injury, as well as on caspase-3, Akt, and extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase (ERK) signaling cascades in a rat model of neonatal hypoxia-ischemia. Hypoxic-ischemic insult was induced by unilateral carotid ligation and hypoxic exposure (7.7% oxygen), and HEX treatment was administered intracerebroventricularly, directly after the insult. Brain damage was quantified at four coronal levels and by regional neuropathological scoring. Brain damage was reduced by 39% in the treatment group, compared with vehicle group, and injury was significantly reduced in the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and thalamus but not in the striatum. The cerebroprotective effect was accompanied by a significant reduction of caspase-3 activity and an increased phosphorylation of Akt and glycogen synthase kinase-3beta, whereas ERK was unaffected. In conclusion, we demonstrate for the first time that HEX is neuroprotective in the neonatal setting in vivo and that increased Akt signaling is associated with downstream attenuation of glycogen synthase kinase-3beta activity and caspase-dependent cell death.
authors.affiliation: Perinatal Center, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sahlgrenska Academy, Box 432, 405 30 Göteborg, Sweden. katarina.g.brywe@medfak.gu.se
authors.forename: Katarina G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Brywe
authors.forename: Anna-Lena
authors.initials: AL
authors.lastname: Leverin
authors.forename: Malin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gustavsson
authors.forename: Carina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Mallard
authors.forename: Riccarda
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Granata
authors.forename: Silvia
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Destefanis
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Volante
authors.forename: Henrik
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hagberg
authors.forename: Ezio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ghigo
authors.forename: Jörgen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Isgaard
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D053148:Caspase 3; D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D005260:Female; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism*; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; D013006:Growth Hormone / Q000378:metabolism; D002534:Hypoxia, Brain / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D009842:Oligopeptides / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1 / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D061945:Caspase Inhibitors; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D009842:Oligopeptides; C086184:hexarelin; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; D013006:Growth Hormone; D017526:Receptor, IGF Type 1; D000071679:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 beta; C000605508:Gsk3b protein, rat; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3; C505410:Casp3 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3