Chronic continuous hypoxia decreases the expression of SLC4A7 (NBCn1) and SLC4A10 (NCBE) in mouse brain.
In the mammalian CNS, hypoxia causes a wide range of physiological effects, and these effects often depend on the stage of development. Among the effects are alterations in pH homeostasis. Na+-coupled HCO3(-) transporters can play critical roles in intracellular pH regulation and several, such as NCBE and NBCn1, are expressed abundantly in the central nervous system. In the present study, we examined the effect of chronic continuous hypoxia on the expression of two electroneutral Na-coupled HCO3(-) transporters, SLC4a7 (NBCn1) and SLC4a10 (NCBE), in mouse brain, the first such study on any acid-base transporter. We placed the mice in normobaric chambers and either maintained normoxia (21% inspired O2) or imposed continuous chronic hypoxia (11% O2) for a duration of either 14 days or 28 days, starting from ages of either postnatal age 2 days (P2) or P90. We assessed protein abundance by Western blot analysis, loading equal amounts of total protein for each condition. In most cases, hypoxia reduced NBCn1 levels by 20-50%, and NCBE levels by 15-40% in cerebral cortex, subcortex, cerebellum, and hippocampus, both after 14 and 28 days, and in both pups and adults. We hypothesize that these decreases, which are out of proportion to the expected overall decreases in brain protein levels, may especially be important for reducing energy consumption.
Chen
Li-Ming
LM
Department of Cellular and Molecular Physiology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, USA. liming.chen@case.edu
Choi
Inyeong
I
Haddad
Gabriel G
GG
Boron
Walter F
WF
D000818:Animals; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D027963:Chloride-Bicarbonate Antiporters / Q000378:metabolism*; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015536:Down-Regulation; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000378:metabolism*; D051379:Mice; D027982:Sodium-Bicarbonate Symporters / Q000378:metabolism*; D014018:Tissue Distribution
D027963:Chloride-Bicarbonate Antiporters; C526208:Slc4a10 protein, mouse; C498904:Slc4a7 protein, mouse; D027982:Sodium-Bicarbonate Symporters