title: Ulinastatin inhibits cerebral ischemia-induced apoptosis in the hippocampus of gerbils.
abstract: Ulinastatin is a urinary trypsin inhibitor, originally extracted and purified from human urine. Ulinastatin has cytoprotective effects against ischemic injury in several organs. In the present study, the neuroprotective effects of ulinastatin following ischemic cerebral injury in the hippocampus of gerbils was investigated. To induce transient global ischemia in gerbils, the common carotid arteries were occluded using aneurysm clips for 5 min, and the clips were then removed. Ulinastatin was subcutaneously injected into the gerbils once a day for 7 days at doses of 50,000 or 100,000 U/kg. The gerbils were confronted with a step-down avoidance task, following which tissue samples from the gerbils were examined using terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling (TUNEL) staining, western blot analysis for B-cell lymphoma (Bcl-2) and Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax), immunohistochemistry for caspase-3 and immunofluorescence for 5-bromo-2'-deoxyuridine. The numbers of TUNEL-positive and caspase-3-positive cells in the hippocampal CA1 region increased following cerebral ischemia. The expression of Bax in the hippocampus increased, while the expression of Bcl-2 in the hippocampus decreased following cerebral ischemia. These results confirmed that apoptosis in the hippocampus was enhanced following cerebral ischemia in gerbils. The levels of cell proliferation in the hippocampal dentate gyrus were also enhanced by ischemia, which is possibly an adaptive mechanism to compensate for excessive levels of apoptosis. Ulinastatin treatment inhibited ischemia-induced apoptosis by suppressing apoptosis-associated molecules, and thus ameliorated ischemia-induced short-term memory impairment. The cell proliferation in the hippocampus was also suppressed following ulinastatin treatment. These results suggested the use of ulinastatin as a therapeutic agent for patients with cerebral stroke.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Kangbuk Samsung Hospital, Sungkyunkwan University School of Medicine, Seoul 110‑746, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Young-Sam
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 130‑701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Mal-Soon
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Shin
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 130‑701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Il-Gyu
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Ko
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 130‑701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Eun
authors.initials: SE
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 130‑701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Chang-Ju
authors.initials: CJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, Kyungnam University, Changwon 631‑701, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Yun-Hee
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Sung
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Eulji General Hospital, Eulji University School of Medicine, Seoul 139‑872, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Hye-Sun
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Yoon
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology and Pain Medicine, Kang Dong Kyung Hee Hospital, Kyung Hee University College of Medicine, Seoul 134‑727, Republic of Korea.
authors.forename: Bong-Jae
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Lee
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000187:drug effects*; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000473:pathology*; D056547:CA1 Region, Hippocampal / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D049109:Cell Proliferation / Q000187:drug effects; D005849:Gerbillinae; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006023:Glycoproteins; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D053148:Caspase 3; C028665:urinastatin