[Effect of tacrolimus on growth-associated protein-43 expression in the hippocampus of neonatal rats with hypoxic-ischemic brain damage].
OBJECTIVE
Immunosuppressant tacrolimus (FK506) has shown neuroprotective effects on hypoxic-ischemic brain damage (HIBD) in the adult animal model. This study investigated whether FK506 has a protection against HIBD in neonatal rats by examining growthjassociated protein-43 (GAP-43) expression in the hippocampus.


METHODS
Ninety-six seven-day-old Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three groups: sham-operation, HIBD and FK506 intervention group. HIBD was induced in the later two groups. The FK506 intervention group was intraperitoneally injected with FK506 immediately after HIBD, at a dosage of 1 mg/kg daily, for three days. The HIBD group was injected with normal saline. Immunohistochemical technical was applied to examine GAP-43 expression in the hippocampus 24 and 72 hrs and 7 and 14 days after HIBD.


RESULTS
Compared with the HIBD group, hematoxylin-eosin staining showed attenuated neuronal necrosis in the FK506 intervention group. In the HIBD group, the expression of GAP-43 increased significantly 72 hrs, and 7 and 14 days after HIBD compared with that in the sham-operation group. The GAP-43 expression in the FK506 intervention group was significantly higher than that in the HIBD group 72 hrs and 7 days after HIBD.


CONCLUSIONS
FK506 might have neuroprotective effects against HIBD in neonatal rats.
Zhou
Yan
Y
Department of Pediatrics, Second West China Hospital of Sichuan University, Chengdu 610041, China.
Xiong
Ying
Y
Yuan
San-Ying
SY
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000032:analysis*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects*; D020925:Hypoxia-Ischemia, Brain / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D016559:Tacrolimus / Q000494:pharmacology*
D019922:GAP-43 Protein; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D016559:Tacrolimus