title: Progesterone influences postischemic synaptogenesis in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in rats.
abstract: Synaptogenesis is considered necessary for learning and memory. Recently, it has been suggested that progesterone (PROG) effects synaptogenesis of the cerebellar Purkinje cell, helps alleviate symptoms of multiple sclerosis and helps arrest spinal cord neurodegeneration. However, it is unclear whether PROG influences synaptic plasticity in central nervous system neurons after global cerebral ischemia. The purpose of the present study was to reveal PROG's influence on postischemic synaptogenesis in the CA1 region of the hippocampus in rats. Global cerebral ischemia was induced in male Sprague-Dawley rats by the 4-vessel occlusion (4-VO) method. To determine the amount of synaptogenesis, growth-associated protein 43 (GAP-43) and synaptophysin (SYP) expression were examined by immunohistochemical, reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and western blot techniques. Histological and behavioral tests were used to indicate the effect of PROG on global cerebral ischemia. Recovery times were 3, 7, 14, 21, and 35 days after surgery. We found that PROG increased the expression of GAP-43 and SYP. In addition, there was a significant increase in neuronal cell density and improvement ability to remain on an accelerating rotarod observed in the 4-VO rats treated with PROG compared to vehicle. We propose that PROG helped enable synaptogenesis in the CA1 region of therat hippocampus after global cerebral ischemia in rats.
authors.affiliation: The Department of Neurology in the Fifth Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University 450052, Zhengzhou, Henan, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yuanzheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Jianping
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Chunling
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chao
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jiang
authors.forename: Chunyan
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Zhongjun
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhu
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology*; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002452:Cell Count / Q000379:methods; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D019922:GAP-43 Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity / Q000187:drug effects; D055495:Neurogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000187:drug effects*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D045442:Rotarod Performance Test; D013569:Synapses / Q000187:drug effects*; D016708:Synaptophysin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D019922:GAP-43 Protein; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D016708:Synaptophysin; D011374:Progesterone