title: Neuroprotection of taurine through inhibition of 12/15 lipoxygenase pathway in cerebral ischemia of rats.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Cerebral ischemia exhibits a multiplicity of pathophysiological mechanisms. Taurine (Tau), an endogenous substance, possesses a number of cytoprotective properties. The aim of the present study was to examine the neuroprotective effect of Tau, through affecting 12/15 lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX) signal pathway in an acute permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) model of rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into 3 groups (n = 10), namely the sham-operated group, MCAO group and Tau group. Tau was intraperitoneally administrated immediately after cerebral ischemia. At 24 h after MCAO, neurological function score, brain water content and infarct volume were assessed. The expression of 12/15-lipoxygenase (12/15-LOX), p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38 MAPK), and cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2) was measured by Western blot. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to evaluate the inflammatory factors TNF-α, IL-1β and IL-6 in serum.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with MCAO group, taurine significantly improved neurological function and significantly reduced brain water content (p < 0.05) and infarct volume (p < 0.05). Consistent with these indices, the overexpressions of 12/15-LOX, p38 MAPK, cPLA2, tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), interleukin-1β (IL-1β) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) were significantly decreased in Tau group (p < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Taurine protected the brain from damage caused by MCAO; this effect may be through down-regulation of 12/15-LOX, p38 MAPK, and cPLA2.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Geriatrics , Weihai Municipal Hospital , Weihai , China.
authors.forename: Zhe
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: a Department of Geriatrics , Weihai Municipal Hospital , Weihai , China.
authors.forename: Rongbo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.affiliation: b Department of Cardiovascular , Weihai Municipal Hospital , Weihai , China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001092:Arachidonate 12-Lipoxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001093:Arachidonate 15-Lipoxygenase / Q000378:metabolism*; D001929:Brain Edema / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D020520:Brain Infarction / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D002545:Brain Ischemia / Q000150:complications* / Q000209:etiology; D016207:Cytokines / Q000378:metabolism; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation / Q000187:drug effects; D006801:Humans; D020244:Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / Q000150:complications; D009422:Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D015398:Signal Transduction / Q000187:drug effects*; D013654:Taurine / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: C475064:12-15-lipoxygenase; D016207:Cytokines; D018696:Neuroprotective Agents; D013654:Taurine; D001092:Arachidonate 12-Lipoxygenase; D001093:Arachidonate 15-Lipoxygenase
keywords: 12/15 lipoxygenase; Taurine; mitogen-activated protein kinase; neuroprotection; phospholipase A2