The nicotinic cholinergic system is affected in rats with delayed carbon monoxide encephalopathy.
Delayed carbon monoxide (CO) encephalopathy may occur following recovery from acute CO poisoning. However, the mechanism of delayed neuronal injury remains unknown. The nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) have been suggested to play a role in cognitive status in neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease. Therefore, in the current study, we investigated the effect of delayed neuronal CO poisoning on gene expression of nAChRs in the hippocampus of Wistar rats. Behavioral effects (measured by the passive-avoidance test) and histological analyses (hematoxylin-eosin-stained hippocampal cell counts and cell death observations) were also investigated, 21 days after CO exposure for 1h (1000ppm for 40min+3000ppm for 20min). Our findings show cognitive impairment and hippocampal cell death, suggesting our rat model is suitable for studying delayed CO encephalopathy. Expression of nAChR (Chrna3, Chrna4, Chnra7, and Chrnb2) mRNA was assessed using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. Hippocampal Chrna3 expression was significantly decreased, and cerebellar Chrna7 expression significantly increased, in the delayed CO encephalopathy rat model. Thus, the nicotinic cholinergic system may be affected in delayed CO encephalopathy.
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan. Electronic address: sugekoma80@hotmail.com.
Shinichiro
S
Ochi
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan.
Masao
M
Abe
Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan.
Cheng
C
Li
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan.
Yoko
Y
Mori
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan.
Takashi
T
Ishimaru
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan.
Yuta
Y
Yoshino
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan.
Kiyohiro
K
Yamazaki
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan.
Takaaki
T
Mori
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Faculty of Life Sciences, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto 860-8556, Japan.
Ryuji
R
Fukuhara
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan.
Satoshi
S
Tanimukai
Department of Anatomy and Embryology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan.
Seiji
S
Matsuda
Department of Forensic Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8654, Japan.
Kenichi
K
Yoshida
Department of Neuropsychiatry, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Toon 791-0295, Ehime, Japan.
Shu-ichi
S
Ueno
D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning / Q000187:drug effects; D002248:Carbon Monoxide / Q000633:toxicity*; D002249:Carbon Monoxide Poisoning / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology; D002452:Cell Count; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D009474:Neurons / Q000187:drug effects / Q000473:pathology; D020258:Neurotoxicity Syndromes / Q000209:etiology / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000523:psychology; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000187:drug effects; D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
D011978:Receptors, Nicotinic; D002248:Carbon Monoxide
Carbon monoxide poisoning; Chrna3; Cognitive impairment; Delayed neuronal death; Hippocampus; Nicotinic cholinergic receptors