Brain cell apoptosis and enhancement of nervous excitability in pregnant rats with high plasma levels of homocysteine☆
نویسندگان
چکیده
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.
منابع مشابه
Homocysteine intracerebroventricular injection induces apoptosis in the Substantia Nigra cells and Parkinson like behavior in rat
Parkinson's disease is a degenerative disorder of the central nervous system. The motor symptoms of Parkinson's disease result from the death of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain the cause of this cell death is unknown. Homocysteine (Hcy) is a non-protein amino acid. It is a homologue of the amino acid cysteine. The elevated levels of homocysteine in p...
متن کاملThe study of the neuroprotective effects of curcumin, against homocysteine intracerebroventricular injection –induced cognition impairment and oxidative stress in the rat
Introduction: Aging is the major risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases and oxidative stress is involved in the pathophysiology of these diseases. Oxidative stress can induce neuronal damages and modulate intracellular signaling, ultimately leading to neuronal death by apoptosis or necrosis. Methods: In this study, we investigated the possible antioxidant and neuroprotective properties o...
متن کاملInteraction of Memantine with Homocysteine on the Apoptosis in the Rat Hippocampus cells
It has been hypothesized that elevated plasma Homocysteine (Hcy) plays a role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and age-related cognitive decline. The mechanism of Hcy neurotoxicity in the brain is controversial as well Hcy is a ligand of NMDA receptor. Memantine, an uncompetitive antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors approved for the treatment of moderate to severe ...
متن کاملEvaluation of Betaine Neuroprotective Effects on 6-Hydroxydopamine-Induced hemi-Parkinsonism in Male Wistar Rats
BACKGROUND: Parkinson's disease (PD) is one of the prevalent debilitating neurodegenerative disor- ders. Accordingly, researchers are working on methods to modify PD progression. Previously, the neuro- protective effects of betaine, as a methyl donor agent in homocysteine metabolism, have been demonstrated in animal models of chronic cerebral hypoperfusion and memory deficits. OBJECTIVES: It wa...
متن کاملEffect of simvastatin on memory disorders and Hippocampal cell death in the model of the fetal alcoholic syndrome in male rats
Introduction: Exposure to ethanol as a neurotratogen in the developmental period has destructive effects on the central nervous system and causes neurological disorders in adulthood. These disorders are associated with apoptosis in areas of the brain such as the hippocampus, by activating the oxidative-inflammatory cascade and high levels of nerve degeneration. Simvastatin, used as a drug to tr...
متن کامل