Post-ischemic administration of pravastatin reduces neuronal injury by inhibiting Bax protein expression after transient forebrain ischemia in rats. (6th May 2015)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jung, Yoo Sun; Oh, Ah-Young; Park, Hee-Pyoung; Hwang, Jung-Won; Lim, Young-Jin; Jeon, Young-Tae
• Is Part Of: Neuroscience letters. Volume 594(2015)
• Page Start: 87
• Page End: 92
• Publication Date: 2015-05-06
• Subjects: Apoptosis -- Bax protein -- Brain ischemia -- Pravastatin; Neurology -- Periodicals; Neurology -- Periodicals; Research -- Periodicals; Neurologie -- Périodiques; Neuroanatomie -- Périodiques; Neuropharmacologie -- Périodiques; Neurophysiologie -- Périodiques; Neurology; Periodicals; Electronic journals; 617.48
• DOI: 10.1016/j.neulet.2015.03.038
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0304-3940

Abstract

Highlights: Pravastatin treatment after forebrain ischemia confers neuroprotection in rats. Proportion of apoptotic neuronal cells was lower in the pravastatin-treated rats. Bax protein expression was significantly decreased in the pravastatin-treated rats. Abstract: This study investigated the neuroprotective effect of pravastatin administration after forebrain ischemia in rats. Forebrain ischemia was induced by bilateral common carotid artery occlusion and systemic hypotension for 8 min. Pravastatin at 1 mg/kg (pravastatin group, n = 10), or an identical volume of normal saline (control group, n = 10), was injected 10 min, and 1–4 days after reperfusion. Arterial blood gas was analyzed 10 min before ischemia onset and 10 min after ischemia completion. Viable and apoptotic neuronal cells were evaluated 7 days after ischemia by hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining and terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated deoxyuracil triphosphate biotin in situ nick-end labeling (TUNEL) staining of the hippocampal Cornu Ammonis area (CA1). Expression of Bcl-2 and Bax proteins was quantified by Western blot analysis. The proportion of viable neuronal cells after ischemia was greater in the pravastatin vs . control group ( p < 0.01), with greater expression of apoptotic cells in the control vs . pravastatin group ( p < 0.05). Bax protein expression was significantly decreased in the pravastatin group ( p < 0.05), whereas, Bcl-2 expression was increased, but not significantly ( p > 0.05). Our findings suggest that pravastatin administration after forebrain ischemia confers neuroprotection in rats by inhibiting Bax protein expression.