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The molecular mechanisms of cell death in the course of transient ischemia are differentiated in evolutionary distinguished brain structures

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Abstract

There is large body of evidence suggesting distinct susceptibility to ischemia in various brain regions. However, the reason for this remains unexplained. Comparative studies of programmed cell death (PCD) pathways indicate their differentiated evolutional origin. The caspase-independent pathway is regarded as an older, whereas the caspase-dependent—as more advanced. In our study we address the question of whether there are any characteristic differences in the activation and course of PCD in phylogenetically and morphologically distinguished brain structures after transient focal ischemia. Using Western blot, we studied changes in expression of caspases: 3, 8, 9, and AIF in the frontoparietal neocortex, archicortex (CA1 and CA2 sectors of the hippocampus) and striatum, during reperfusion after 1 h occlusion of the middle cerebral artery. The caspase and AIF expression were differentiated between the studied structures. The activation of only the caspase-dependent pathway was observed in the neocortex. In the archicortex and striatum both caspase-dependent and caspase-independent pathways were activated, although in the latter the extrinsic apoptotic pathway was not activated. In summary, it is conceivable that structures of different evolutionary origin undergo cell-death processes with the participation of phylogenetically distinguished mechanisms. The previously reported unequal susceptibility to ischemia may co-exist with activation of different cell death pathways.

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Acknowledgements

This research was supported by funds from the Polish State Committee of Scientific Research grant no: W-83. The technical assistance of Mrs. S. Scislowska and Mr. T. Alexander is greatly appreciated.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Medical University of Gdansk, 1 Debinki Street, 80-211, Gdansk, Poland

    Grażyna Lietzau, Przemysław Kowiański, Jerzy Dziewiątkowski, Justyna Sidor-Kaczmarek & Janusz Moryś

  2. Department of Neuroanesthesiology, Medical University of Gdansk, 1 Debinki Street, 80-211, Gdansk, Poland

    Zbigniew Karwacki & Małgorzata Witkowska

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  1. Grażyna Lietzau
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  2. Przemysław Kowiański
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Correspondence to Przemysław Kowiański.

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Grażyna Lietzau and Przemysław Kowiański equally contributed to this work.

Post-ischemic cell death mechanisms are differentiated in distinct brain regions.

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Lietzau, G., Kowiański, P., Karwacki, Z. et al. The molecular mechanisms of cell death in the course of transient ischemia are differentiated in evolutionary distinguished brain structures. Metab Brain Dis 24, 507–523 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11011-009-9149-2

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