Pergolide protects CA1 neurons from apoptosis in a gerbil model of global cerebral ischemia.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effects of dopamine (DA) receptor agonists and antagonists on neuronal apoptosis in hippocampal CA1 region after forebrain ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury in gerbils.


METHODS
Gerbil forebrain ischemia was induced by occluding bilateral carotid arteries for 5 minutes. The open field test, hematoxylin-eosin staining and in situ terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) methods were used 1, 3 and 7 days after reperfusion. Western blot was used to examine the phosphorylation of c-Jun.


RESULTS
Pergolide could significantly reduce the habituation impairments of ischemic gerbils, increase the number of normal neurons and reduce the number of apoptotic neurons in hippocampal CA1 region after reperfusion. SKF38393, SCH23390 and spiperone had no effects on these changes in this transient I/R injury model. Furthermore, pergolide can significantly reduce the phosphorylation of c-Jun induced by transient forebrain ischemia.
Zong
Xue-Mei
XM
Center of Emergency, Affiliated Hospital of Xuzhou Medical College, Xuzhou 221002, China.
Sun
Ya-Feng
YF
Pei
Dong-Sheng
DS
Zeng
Yin-Ming
YM
Xu
Tie
T
D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018491:Dopamine Agonists / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005106:Exploratory Behavior / Q000187:drug effects; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000473:pathology*; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects*; D010479:Pergolide / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
D018491:Dopamine Agonists; D016755:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-jun; D010479:Pergolide