title: HIF-1-regulated vasoactive systems are differentially involved in acute hypoxic stress responses of the developing brain of newborn mice and are not affected by levetiracetam.
abstract: Hypoxia-inducible transcription factor-1 (HIF-1) is critically involved in adaptive endogenous mechanisms to hypoxic brain injury by transcriptional activation of specific target genes that restore oxygen supply. Exogenously, neuroprotective properties of levetiracetam (LEV) have been suggested in experimental cerebral ischemia and epilepsy. We aimed to elucidate 1) effects of acute hypoxic distress on HIF-1 and vasoactive target genes, and 2) effects of LEV on HIF-1-regulated mechanisms in the brain at early developmental stages. To this end, we studied the impact of hypoxia in the presence or absence of LEV on the O2-dependent HIF-1alpha subunit as well as on VEGF and iNOS in the developing brain of normoxic and hypoxic mice. C57BL/6 mice (P0, P7) were treated with saline or LEV (i.p.; 50 mg/kg) 1 h before exposure to either normoxia (21% O2; N) or hypoxia (8% O2 of 6 h; H) without reoxygenation. HIF-1alpha was analyzed by Western blot and immunohistochemistry and mRNA levels were quantified by TaqMan RT-PCR. Hypoxia led to prominent accumulation of cerebral HIF-1alpha protein in cortical neurons and glial cells and significant up-regulation of VEGF mRNA at P0 (N, 0.018+/-0.002, vs. H, 0.031+/-0.003, n=6; p<0.05) and P7 (N, 0.096+/-0.032, vs. H, 0.873+/-0.069, n=7; p<0.001). Interestingly, we detected a significant decrease of iNOS mRNA levels in hypoxic brains. LEV treatment did not alter HIF-1alpha accumulation either in normoxic or hypoxic brains (P0, P7). Moreover, significant changes of VEGF and NOS mRNA levels did not occur with the exception that hypoxia-induced decreased iNOS levels were not observed in P0 brains. We conclude that acute systemic hypoxia differentially affects expression of HIF-1-regulated vasoactive factors in the newborn mouse brain. Of clinical importance, LEV treatment did not alter crucial HIF-1-regulated neuroprotective mechanisms.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Veterinary Physiology, Vetsuisse Faculty, and Zurich Center for Integrative Human Physiology, University of Zurich, Switzerland. ratrollmann@vetphys.unizh.ch
authors.forename: Regina
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Trollmann
authors.forename: Julia
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schneider
authors.forename: Stephan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: Katja
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Strasser
authors.forename: Dieter
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Wenzel
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Rascher
authors.forename: Omolara O
authors.initials: OO
authors.lastname: Ogunshola
authors.forename: Max
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gassmann
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental / Q000187:drug effects; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D018697:Nootropic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010889:Piracetam / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: C497444:Hif1a protein, rat; D051795:Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; D018697:Nootropic Agents; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D000077287:Levetiracetam; D052247:Nitric Oxide Synthase Type II; D010889:Piracetam