title: Upregulation of the neuronal Per-Arnt-Sim domain protein 4 (Npas4) in the rat corticolimbic system following focal cerebral ischemia.
abstract: The neuronal Per-Arnt-Sim domain protein 4 (Npas4) is an important transcriptional regulator of synaptic plasticity and cognition. The present study characterises the in vivo neuroanatomical expression pattern of the Npas4 protein in a rat model of focal cerebral ischemia. Animals were subjected to unilateral middle cerebral artery occlusion for 2 h, after which the spatiotemporal and neuronal profiles of Npas4 protein expression were analysed by immunohistochemistry at different time points post-reperfusion. Focal cerebral ischemia induced an early, transient and robust upregulation of Npas4 in a brain region-dependent manner involving predominantly principal neurons. Interestingly, we observed a unique differential induction of Npas4 protein expression in corticolimbic regions of the rat brain that are critically linked to cognition and emotion. These findings suggest that stroke-induced Npas4 upregulation may be involved in a transcriptional regulatory program within the corticolimbic circuitry following an ischemic insult.
authors: School of Molecular and Biomedical Science, The University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
authors: Wai Khay
authors: WK
authors: Leong
authors: Thomas S
authors: TS
authors: Klaric
authors: Yingxi
authors: Y
authors: Lin
authors: Martin D
authors: MD
authors: Lewis
authors: Simon A
authors: SA
authors: Koblar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000378:metabolism*; D008032:Limbic System / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D051792:Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Proteins; C516513:Npas4 protein, rat