Carbamylated erythropoietin ameliorates hypoxia-induced cognitive and behavioral defects with the generation of choline acetyltransferase-positive neurons.
Carbamylated erythropoietin (CEPO) is attracting widespread interest because of its neuroprotective effects without influencing erythropoiesis. Here we show that CEPO, unlike EPO, does not stimulate erythropoiesis. Both CEPO and EPO inhibit the death/apoptosis of neurons in the hypoxic model of primary neurons and induce neuron proliferation and differentiation in hypoxic mice. Hypoxic mice show apparent memory deficits at 3 and 30 days after hypoxia. The administration of CEPO/EPO significantly improves cognitive and behavioral defects after hypoxic insults. Further investigation shows that CEPO/EPO induces neuron proliferation and differentiation and promotes the generation of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT)(+) neurons in hypoxic mice. Phosphorylated AKT was colabeled with ChAT(+) neurons and coexpressed in bromodeoxyuridine-positive cells, suggesting that the PI3K/AKT pathway may play a pivotal role in CEPO/EPO-cholinergic neuron generation. These results reveal that CEPO/EPO ameliorates hypoxia-induced cognitive and behavioral defects possibly through the generation of ChAT-positive neurons.
Institute of Neurology, Huashan Hospital, Institutes of Brain Science and State Key Laboratory of Medical Neurobiology, Fudan University, Shanghai, China.
Jing
J
Ding
Qin-Ying
QY
Li
Jie-Zhong
JZ
Yu
Xin
X
Wang
Chuan-Zhen
CZ
Lu
Cun-Gen
CG
Ma
Bao-Guo
BG
Xiao
D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects; D002454:Cell Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects*; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase / Q000378:metabolism; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000150:complications; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*
D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; C488171:carbamylated erythropoietin; D004921:Erythropoietin; D002795:Choline O-Acetyltransferase