title: Antioxidant activity in the newborn brain: a luciferase mouse model.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Oxidative stress in the newborn period may cause cell injury and inflammation if the antioxidant capacity is insufficient. To monitor antioxidant and inflammatory activity we examined by in vivo imaging various strains of luciferase reporter mice whose light-emitting properties were regulated by response elements or complete promoters related to oxidative stress and/or inflammation. The aim of this study is to present a model that can monitor genetic activity in vivo during pregnancy and the first 10 days of life.
  
  
  METHODS
  One mouse strain reports the activity of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) activity, a transcription factor essential for modulating inflammation, apoptosis, differentiation and cell growth. A second mouse strain reports on superoxide dismutase 1-promoter activity. A third strain reports the promoter activity of gamma-glutamylcysteine synthetase, the rate limiting enzyme in glutathione production, and the last strain reports on antioxidant responsive element (ARE)/electrophil responsive element. Wild-type female mice mated with NF-kappaB mice were imaged through pregnancy to monitor intrauterine NF-kappaB activation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Intrauterine NF-kappaB activity increased dramatically from day 17 towards labor. During the first 4 days of life luminescence measured was intense in all mice with distinct strain differences. All strains had high luminescence levels at day 1 and a considerably lower level at day 10.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This model allows investigation of the transcriptional regulation of key proteins related to oxidative stress and inflammation in pregnancy and the first days of life. With very little stress to the newborn animals genetic activity can be monitored day by day.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Research, Rikshospitalet Medical Center, Oslo, Norway. gaute.dohlen@medisin.uio.no
authors.forename: Gaute
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dohlen
authors.forename: Hans Henrik
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Odland
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Carlsen
authors.forename: Rune
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Blomhoff
authors.forename: Erik
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Thaulow
authors.forename: Ola Didrik
authors.initials: OD
authors.lastname: Saugstad
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000378:metabolism*; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000378:metabolism*; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D005721:Glutamate-Cysteine Ligase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D008156:Luciferases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D008822:Mice, Transgenic; D023421:Models, Animal; D016328:NF-kappa B / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018384:Oxidative Stress / Q000235:genetics; D020218:Response Elements / Q000235:genetics; D013482:Superoxide Dismutase / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism