title: Effects of hepatocyte growth factor on phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase and hippocampal cell death in rats with transient forebrain ischemia.
abstract: Hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) has been implicated in protection against several types of cell injuries. We investigated the effects of human recombinant HGF (hrHGF) on the selective neuronal cell death in the hippocampal CA1 region after transient forebrain ischemia in rats and explored the nature of the intracellular signaling pathway for the protection against this neuronal injury. hrHGF was injected continuously into the hippocampal CA1 region directly using an osmotic pump from 10 min to 72 h after the start of reperfusion. The marked increase in the number of TUNEL-positive cells found in the CA1 region after ischemia was almost completely abolished by the hrHGF treatment. Akt phosphorylation as well as IkappaB phosphorylation, which has been implicated in events downstream of the Akt, was not affected by hrHGF treatment. Extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) phosphorylation was decreased in the CA1 region with time after ischemia. hrHGF increased or recovered ERK phosphorylation without changing the total amount of ERK protein. Immunohistochemical analysis demonstrated that phosphorylated ERK was colocalized with a neuronal nucleus marker NeuN in the hippocampal CA1 region of ischemic rats with hrHGF treatment at the early period after reperfusion. These results suggest that the protective effects of hrHGF against neuronal death in the hippocampal CA1 after transient forebrain ischemia could be related to an ERK-dependent pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology, Tokyo University of Pharmacy and Life Science, 1432-1 Horinouchi, Hachioji, Tokyo 192-0392, Japan.
authors.forename: Makiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Niimura
authors.forename: Norio
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Keiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Takagi
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Funakoshi
authors.forename: Toshikazu
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.forename: Satoshi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takeo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018891:Dentate Gyrus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases / Q000378:metabolism*; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor / Q000235:genetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D020672:I-kappa B Proteins / Q000378:metabolism; D015151:Immunoblotting; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1 / Q000378:metabolism; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D009474:Neurons / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010766:Phosphorylation / Q000187:drug effects; D016548:Prosencephalon / Q000098:blood supply; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000378:metabolism; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011994:Recombinant Proteins / Q000494:pharmacology; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D020672:I-kappa B Proteins; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D017228:Hepatocyte Growth Factor; D019859:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-met; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; D048049:Extracellular Signal-Regulated MAP Kinases; D019950:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 1; D048052:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase 3