title: Up-regulation of NFATc4 involves in neuronal apoptosis following intracerebral hemorrhage.
abstract: Nuclear factor of activated T-cells, cytoplasmic 4 (NFATc4), a transcriptional factor, is involved in the control about the flow of genetic information and the modulation of diverse cellular activities. Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that NFATc4 exerted a pro-apoptotic effect in multiple diseases. Here, we explored the NFATc4's roles during the pathophysiological processes of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). An ICH rat model was built and evaluated according to behavioral testing. Using Western blot, immunohistochemistry, and immunofluorescence, significant up-regulation of NFATc4 was found in neurons in brain areas surrounding the hematoma following ICH. Increasing NFATc4 expression was found to be accompanied by the up-regulation of Fas ligand (FasL), active caspase-8, and active caspase-3, respectively. Besides, NFATc4 co-localized with active caspase-3 in neurons, indicating its role in neuronal apoptosis. Our in vitro study, using NFATc4 RNA interference in PC12 cells, further confirmed that NFATc4 might exert its pro-apoptotic function in neuronal apoptosis through extrinsic pathway. Thus, NFATc4 may play a role in promoting the brain secondary damage following ICH.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Affiliated Hospital of Nantong University, Nantong, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Kaifu
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ke
authors.forename: Xiang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tan
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Jiabing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Tingting
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Rui
authors.forename: Heyi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zheng
authors.forename: Peipei
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhai
authors.forename: Jianghua
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.forename: Maohong
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D015153:Blotting, Western; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D002543:Cerebral Hemorrhage / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors / Q000378:metabolism*; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D009474:Neurons / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D016716:PC12 Cells; D010641:Phenotype; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013997:Time Factors; D015854:Up-Regulation
chemical_list: D050778:NFATC Transcription Factors; D009419:Nerve Tissue Proteins; C477593:Nfatc4 protein, rat; D053148:Caspase 3