title: [Effect of recombinant human erythropoietin on hippocampal p-Akt and caspase-9 expressions in rats with status epilepticus and the mechanism].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhuEPO) on p-Akt and caspase-9 expressions in the hippocampus of rats with status epilepticus (SE) and explore the neuroprotective mechanism of rhuEPO.
  
  
  METHODS
  Adult male SD rats were randomized into control, PTZ, rHuEPO, LY294002 group, and DMSO groups and treated with normal saline (NS), PTZ, PTZ+rHuEPO, PTZ+LY294002+rHuEPO, and PTZ+DMSO+rHuEPO, respectively. The behavioral and electroencephalogram (EEG) changes of the rats were recorded, and the expressions of p-Akt and caspase-9 were detected using immunohistochemistry. The hippocampal expression of caspase-9 mRNA was detected using RT-PCR, and the expressions of Akt and p-Akt proteins were determined with Western blotting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The p-Akt-positive cell and p-Akt protein expression increased significantly while the caspase-9-positive cell and caspase-9 mRNA expression decreased in rHuEPO group as compared with those in PTZ group (P<0.05). LY294002 treatment prior to rHuEPO injection significantly abolished the effects of rHuEPO on caspase-9 and p-Akt immunohistochemical positivity and caspase-9 mRNA and p-Akt protein expressions (P<0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Administration of rHuEPO activates the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in SE rats and increases the expression of p-Akt protein to regulate the expression of caspase-9, a regulatory factor of the mitochondrial-dependent apoptotic pathway, and therefore provides anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective effects.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Second Hospital of Hebei Medical University, Shijiazhuang 050000, China. LDH_WWP_LCY @163.com
authors.forename: Wei-ping
authors.initials: WP
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Zhi-qin
authors.initials: ZQ
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Jiang-hua
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Guo
authors.forename: Le
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Dong-liang
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Han
authors.forename: Dong-cai
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.forename: Ying-zhuo
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Zang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D053453:Caspase 9 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D011897:Random Allocation; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D013226:Status Epilepticus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011994:Recombinant Proteins; D004921:Erythropoietin; C494920:Akt1 protein, rat; D051057:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-akt; C506435:Casp9 protein, rat; D053453:Caspase 9