title: Signal transducers and activators of transcription: STATs-mediated mitochondrial neuroprotection.
abstract: Cerebral ischemia is defined as little or no blood flow in cerebral circulation, characterized by low tissue oxygen and glucose levels, which promotes neuronal mitochondria dysfunction leading to cell death. A strategy to counteract cerebral ischemia-induced neuronal cell death is ischemic preconditioning (IPC). IPC results in neuroprotection, which is conferred by a mild ischemic challenge prior to a normally lethal ischemic insult. Although many IPC-induced mechanisms have been described, many cellular and subcellular mechanisms remain undefined. Some reports have suggested key signal transduction pathways of IPC, such as activation of protein kinase C epsilon, mitogen-activated protein kinase, and hypoxia-inducible factors, that are likely involved in IPC-induced mitochondria mediated-neuroprotection. Moreover, recent findings suggest that signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs), a family of transcription factors involved in many cellular activities, may be intimately involved in IPC-induced ischemic tolerance. In this review, we explore current signal transduction pathways involved in IPC-induced mitochondria mediated-neuroprotection, STAT activation in the mitochondria as it relates to IPC, and functional significance of STATs in cerebral ischemia.
authors: Cerebral Vascular Disease Research Center, Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, Florida 33101, USA.
authors: Hung Wen
authors: HW
authors: Lin
authors: John W
authors: JW
authors: Thompson
authors: Kahlilia C
authors: KC
authors: Morris
authors: Miguel A
authors: MA
authors: Perez-Pinzon
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D006801:Humans; D019194:Ischemic Preconditioning; D008928:Mitochondria / Q000378:metabolism*; D050791:STAT Transcription Factors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000235:genetics / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D050791:STAT Transcription Factors