title: Progesterone attenuates aquaporin-4 expression in an astrocyte model of ischemia/reperfusion.
abstract: Previous studies have suggested that progesterone may be involved in neuroprotection by preventing brain edema. In this study, we assessed the effects of progesterone on aquaporin-4 (AQP4) expression in an ischemia/reperfusion model of cultured rat astrocytes, and further explored the possible role of the protein kinase C (PKC) pathway in this course. We evaluate primary culture astrocytes exposed to 4 h oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) followed by 24 h reperfusion (OGD4h/R24h) as a means of simulating cortex ischemia and reperfusion, and test the effect of progesterone on AQP4 expression in response to OGD4h/R24h. Besides, the cell viability was assessed by MTT reduction and lactate dehydrogenase release assay, accompanied by cell morphology survey. At a concentration of 1 and 2 μM, progesterone significantly attenuated AQP4 at the level of both protein and mRNA and ameliorated the cell viability of astrocytes from OGD/reperfusion injury. Moreover, this effect was blocked by the PKC inhibitor Ro31-8220, which was employed before the OGD. These results indicate that progesterone exerts the protective effects and attenuates AQP4 expression in an astrocyte model of ischemia/reperfusion depending on the PKC signal pathway.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy and Histology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Tianjin Medical University, 22 Qixiangtai Road, Tianjin, 300070, China.
authors.forename: Lu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Xiaoyang
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xianfeng
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Yunsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D051401:Aquaporin 4 / Q000378:metabolism*; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D007511:Ischemia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011493:Protein Kinase C / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015424:Reperfusion; D015427:Reperfusion Injury / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: C496032:Aqp4 protein, rat; D051401:Aquaporin 4; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D011374:Progesterone; D011493:Protein Kinase C