title: Brain cell apoptosis and enhancement of nervous excitability in pregnant rats with high plasma levels of homocysteine.
abstract: Hyperhomocysteinemia is an important risk factor for preeclampsia-eclampsia. This study established a pregnant rat model of hyperhomocysteinemia, in which blood plasma homocysteine concentrations were twice or three times greater than that of normal pregnant rats. TUNEL revealed an increase in the number of apoptotic cells in the frontal cortex of pregnant rats with hyperhomocysteinemia. In addition, immunohistochemical staining detected activated nuclear factor-κB-positve cells in the frontal cortex. Reverse transcription-PCR detected that mRNA expression of the anti-apoptotic gene bcl-2 diminished in the frontal cortex. In situ hybridization and western blotting revealed that N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor 1 mRNA and protein expression was upregulated in the frontal cortex and hippocampus. These results indicate that hyperhomocysteinemia can induce brain cell apoptosis, increase nerve excitability, and promote the occurrence of preeclampsia in pregnant rats.
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, General Hospital of Shenyang Military Region, Shenyang 110016, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, the 202 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Shenyang 110003, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Jing
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ge
authors.affiliation: Shenyang Women and Children Health Center, Shenyang 110014, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Liu
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, the 202 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Shenyang 110003, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Haiyan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, the 202 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Shenyang 110003, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Xuli
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, the 202 Hospital of Chinese PLA, Shenyang 110003, Liaoning Province, China.
authors.forename: Dan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Xue
keywords: N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor; brain; cell apoptosis; frontal cortex; homocysteine; hyperhomocysteinemia; nerve excitability; neural regeneration; preeclampsia; pregnancy