title: Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor inhibits apoptotic neuron loss after neonatal hypoxia-ischemia in rats.
abstract: Neonatal hypoxia-ischemia (HI) is an important clinical problem with few effective treatments. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is an endogenous peptide hormone of the hematopoietic system that has been shown to be neuroprotective in focal ischemia in vivo and is currently in phase I/II clinical trials for ischemic stroke in humans. We tested G-CSF in a rat model of neonatal hypoxia-ischemia in postnatal day 7 unsexed rat pups. Three groups of animals were used: hypoxia-ischemia (HI, n=67), hypoxia-ischemia with G-CSF treatment (HI+G, n=65), and healthy control (C, n=53). G-CSF (50 microg/kg, subcutaneous) was administered 1 h after HI and given on four subsequent days (five total injections). Animals were euthanized 24 h, 1, 2, and 3 weeks after HI. Assessment included brain weight, histology, immunohistochemistry, and Western blotting. G-CSF treatment was associated with improved quantitative brain weight and qualitative Nissl histology after hypoxia-ischemia. TUNEL demonstrated reduced apoptosis in group HI+G. Western blot demonstrated decreased expression of Bax and cleaved caspase-3 in group HI+G. G-CSF treatment was also associated with increased expression of STAT3, Bcl-2, and Pim-1, all of which may have participated in the anti-apoptotic effect of the drug. We conclude that G-CSF ameliorates hypoxic-ischemic brain injury and that this may occur in part by an inhibition of apoptotic cell death.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Loma Linda University, Loma Linda, CA 92354, USA.
authors.forename: Kenichiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yata
authors.forename: Gerald A
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Matchett
authors.forename: Tamiji
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Tsubokawa
authors.forename: Jiping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kanamaru
authors.forename: John H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D005260:Female; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D009929:Organ Size / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology; D051381:Rats; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D051017:Apoptosis Regulatory Proteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D016178:Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor