Abstract
Neonatal hypoxia–ischemia (HI) is a devastating condition resulting in neuronal cell death and often culminates in neurological deficits. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) has been shown to have neuroprotective activity via inhibition of apoptosis and inflammation in various stroke models. Stem cell factor (SCF) regulates hematopoietic stem cells in the bone marrow and has been reported to have neuroprotective properties in an experimental ischemic stroke model. In this study, we aim to determine the protective effects of G-CSF in combination with SCF treatment after experimental HI. Seven-day-old Sprague–Dawley rats were subjected to unilateral carotid artery ligation followed by 2.5 h of hypoxia. Animals were randomly assigned to five groups: Sham (n = 8), Vehicle (n = 8), HI with G-CSF treatment (n = 9), HI with SCF treatment (n = 9), and HI with G-CSF + SCF treatment (coadministration group; n = 10). G-CSF (50 μg/kg), SCF (50 μg/kg), and G-CSF + SCF (50 μg/kg) were administered intraperitoneally 1 h post HI followed by daily injection for 4 consecutive days (five total injections). Animals were euthanized 14 days after HI for neurological testing. Additionally, assessment of brain, heart, liver, spleen, and kidney atrophy was performed. Both G-CSF and G-CSF + SCF treatments improved body growth and decreased brain atrophy at 14 days post HI. No significant differences were found in the peripheral organ weights between groups. Finally, the G-CSF + SCF coadministration group showed significant improvement in neurological function. Our data suggest that administration of G-CSF in combination with SCF not only prevented brain atrophy but also significantly improved neurological function.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Vannucci RC, Vannucci SJ. A model of perinatal hypoxic–ischemic brain damage. Ann N Y Acad Sci. 1997;835:234–49.
Volpe JJ. Perinatal brain injury: from pathogenesis to neuroprotection. Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2001;7(1):56–64.
Bracewell M, Marlow N. Patterns of motor disability in very preterm children. Ment Retard Dev Disabil Res Rev. 2002;8(4):241–8.
Ferriero DM. Neonatal brain injury. N Engl J Med. 2004;351(19):1985–95.
Zhao LR, Singhal S, Duan WM, Mehta J, Kessler JA. Brain repair by hematopoietic growth factors in a rat model of stroke. Stroke. 2007;38(9):2584–91.
Schneider A, Kruger C, Steigleder T, Weber D, Pitzer C, Laage R, Aronowski J, Maurer MH, Gassler N, Mier W, et al. The hematopoietic factor G-CSF is a neuronal ligand that counteracts programmed cell death and drives neurogenesis. J Clin Invest. 2005;115(8):2083–98.
Pitzer C, Kruger C, Plaas C, Kirsch F, Dittgen T, Muller R, Laage R, Kastner S, Suess S, Spoelgen R, et al. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor improves outcome in a mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Brain. 2008;131(Pt 12):3335–47.
Shyu WC, Lin SZ, Lee CC, Liu DD, Li H. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for acute ischemic stroke: a randomized controlled trial. CMAJ. 2006;174(7):927–33.
Kawada H, Takizawa S, Takanashi T, Morita Y, Fujita J, Fukuda K, Takagi S, Okano H, Ando K, Hotta T. Administration of hematopoietic cytokines in the subacute phase after cerebral infarction is effective for functional recovery facilitating proliferation of intrinsic neural stem/progenitor cells and transition of bone marrow-derived neuronal cells. Circulation. 2006;113(5):701–10.
Solaroglu I, Tsubokawa T, Cahill J, Zhang JH. Anti-apoptotic effect of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor after focal cerebral ischemia in the rat. Neuroscience. 2006;143(4):965–74.
Yata K, Matchett GA, Tsubokawa T, Tang J, Kanamaru K, Zhang JH. Granulocyte-colony stimulating factor inhibits apoptotic neuron loss after neonatal hypoxia–ischemia in rats. Brain Res. 2007;1145:227–38.
Popa-Wagner A, Stocker K, Balseanu AT, Rogalewski A, Diederich K, Minnerup J, Margaritescu C, Schabitz WR. Effects of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor after stroke in aged rats. Stroke. 2010;41(5):1027–31.
Solaroglu I, Cahill J, Tsubokawa T, Beskonakli E, Zhang JH. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor protects the brain against experimental stroke via inhibition of apoptosis and inflammation. Neurol Res. 2009;31(2):167–72.
Beck H, Voswinckel R, Wagner S, Ziegelhoeffer T, Heil M, Helisch A, Schaper W, Acker T, Hatzopoulos AK, Plate KH. Participation of bone marrow-derived cells in long-term repair processes after experimental stroke. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2003;23(6):709–17.
Fathali N, Lekic T, Zhang JH, Tang J. Long-term evaluation of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor on hypoxic–ischemic brain damage in infant rats. Intensive Care Med. 2010;36(9):1602–8.
Williams DE, Lyman SD. Characterization of the gene-product of the Steel locus. Prog Growth Factor Res. 1991;3(4):235–42.
Six I, Gasan G, Mura E, Bordet R. Beneficial effect of pharmacological mobilization of bone marrow in experimental cerebral ischemia. Eur J Pharmacol. 2003;458(3):327–8.
McNiece IK, Briddell RA. Stem cell factor. J Leukoc Biol. 1995;58(1):14–22.
Corti S, Locatelli F, Strazzer S, Salani S, Del Bo R, Soligo D, Bossolasco P, Bresolin N, Scarlato G, Comi GP. Modulated generation of neuronal cells from bone marrow by expansion and mobilization of circulating stem cells with in vivo cytokine treatment. Exp Neurol. 2002;177(2):443–52.
Motro B, Wojtowicz JM, Bernstein A, van der Kooy D. Steel mutant mice are deficient in hippocampal learning but not long-term potentiation. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1996;93(5):1808–13.
Schabitz WR, Kollmar R, Schwaninger M, Juettler E, Bardutzky J, Scholzke MN, Sommer C, Schwab S. Neuroprotective effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor after focal cerebral ischemia. Stroke. 2003;34(3):745–51.
Komine-Kobayashi M, Zhang N, Liu M, Tanaka R, Hara H, Osaka A, Mochizuki H, Mizuno Y, Urabe T. Neuroprotective effect of recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in transient focal ischemia of mice. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2006;26(3):402–13.
Zhao LR, Berra HH, Duan WM, Singhal S, Mehta J, Apkarian AV, Kessler JA. Beneficial effects of hematopoietic growth factor therapy in chronic ischemic stroke in rats. Stroke. 2007;38(10):2804–11.
Rice 3rd JE. Vannucci RC, Brierley JB: the influence of immaturity on hypoxic–ischemic brain damage in the rat. Ann Neurol. 1981;9(2):131–41.
Toth ZE, Leker RR, Shahar T, Pastorino S, Szalayova I, Asemenew B, Key S, Parmelee A, Mayer B, Nemeth K, et al. The combination of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor and stem cell factor significantly increases the number of bone marrow-derived endothelial cells in brains of mice following cerebral ischemia. Blood. 2008;111(12):5544–52.
Palmer C, Vannucci RC, Towfighi J. Reduction of perinatal hypoxic–ischemic brain damage with allopurinol. Pediatr Res. 1990;27(4 Pt 1):332–6.
Feng Y, Fratkins JD, LeBlanc MH. Treatment with tamoxifen reduces hypoxic–ischemic brain injury in neonatal rats. Eur J Pharmacol. 2004;484(1):65–74.
Bona E, Johansson BB, Hagberg H. Sensorimotor function and neuropathology five to six weeks after hypoxia–ischemia in seven-day-old rats. Pediatr Res. 1997;42(5):678–83.
Hagberg H, Gilland E, Diemer NH, Andine P. Hypoxia–ischemia in the neonatal rat brain: histopathology after post-treatment with NMDA and non-NMDA receptor antagonists. Biol Neonate. 1994;66(4):205–13.
Garcia JH, Wagner S, Liu KF, Hu XJ. Neurological deficit and extent of neuronal necrosis attributable to middle cerebral artery occlusion in rats. Statistical validation. Stroke. 1995;26(4):627–34. discussion 635.
Hernandez TD, Schallert T. Seizures and recovery from experimental brain damage. Exp Neurol. 1988;102(3):318–24.
Hess DA, Levac KD, Karanu FN, Rosu-Myles M, White MJ, Gallacher L, Murdoch B, Keeney M, Ottowski P, Foley R, et al. Functional analysis of human hematopoietic repopulating cells mobilized with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor alone versus granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in combination with stem cell factor. Blood. 2002;100(3):869–78.
Broudy VC, Kovach NL, Bennett LG, Lin N, Jacobsen FW, Kidd PG. Human umbilical vein endothelial cells display high-affinity c-kit receptors and produce a soluble form of the c-kit receptor. Blood. 1994;83(8):2145–52.
Hess DC, Abe T, Hill WD, Studdard AM, Carothers J, Masuya M, Fleming PA, Drake CJ, Ogawa M. Hematopoietic origin of microglial and perivascular cells in brain. Exp Neurol. 2004;186(2):134–44.
Kocher AA, Schuster MD, Szabolcs MJ, Takuma S, Burkhoff D, Wang J, Homma S, Edwards NM, Itescu S. Neovascularization of ischemic myocardium by human bone-marrow-derived angioblasts prevents cardiomyocyte apoptosis, reduces remodeling and improves cardiac function. Nat Med. 2001;7(4):430–6.
Powell TM, Paul JD, Hill JM, Thompson M, Benjamin M, Rodrigo M, McCoy JP, Read EJ, Khuu HM, Leitman SF, et al. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor mobilizes functional endothelial progenitor cells in patients with coronary artery disease. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2005;25(2):296–301.
Takamiya M, Okigaki M, Jin D, Takai S, Nozawa Y, Adachi Y, Urao N, Tateishi K, Nomura T, Zen K, et al. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-mobilized circulating c-Kit+/Flk-1+ progenitor cells regenerate endothelium and inhibit neointimal hyperplasia after vascular injury. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2006;26(4):751–7.
Duarte RF, Frank DA. SCF and G-CSF lead to the synergistic induction of proliferation and gene expression through complementary signaling pathways. Blood. 2000;96(10):3422–30.
Rosenstrauch D, Poglajen G, Zidar N, Gregoric ID. Stem celltherapy for ischemic heart failure. Tex Heart Inst J. 2005;32(3):339–47.
Zhao LR, Navalitloha Y, Singhal S, Mehta J, Piao CS, Guo WP, Kessler JA, Groothuis DR. Hematopoietic growth factors pass through the blood–brain barrier in intact rats. Exp Neurol. 2007;204(2):569–73.
Shyu WC, Lin SZ, Yang HI, Tzeng YS, Pang CY, Yen PS, Li H. Functional recovery of stroke rats induced by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-stimulated stem cells. Circulation. 2004;110(13):1847–54.
Yanqing Z, Yu-Min L, Jian Q, Bao-Guo X, Chuan-Zhen L. Fibronectin and neuroprotective effect of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor in focal cerebral ischemia. Brain Res. 2006;1098(1):161–9.
Sprigg N, Bath PM, Zhao L, Willmot MR, Gray LJ, Walker MF, Dennis MS, Russell N. Granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor mobilizes bone marrow stem cells in patients with subacute ischemic stroke: the Stem cell Trial of recovery EnhanceMent after Stroke (STEMS) pilot randomized, controlled trial (ISRCTN 16784092). Stroke. 2006;37(12):2979–83.
McNiece IK, Langley KE, Zsebo KM. Recombinant human stem cell factor synergises with GM-CSF, G-CSF, IL-3 and epo to stimulate human progenitor cells of the myeloid and erythroid lineages. Exp Hematol. 1991;19(3):226–31.
Galli MC, Giardina PJ, Migliaccio AR, Migliaccio G. The biology of stem cell factor, a new hematopoietic growth factor involved in stem cell regulation. Int J Clin Lab Res. 1993;23(2):70–7.
Gibson CL, Jones NC, Prior MJ, Bath PM, Murphy SP. G-CSF suppresses edema formation and reduces interleukin-1beta expression after cerebral ischemia in mice. J Neuropathol Exp Neurol. 2005;64(9):763–9.
Kim BR, Shim JW, Sung DK, Kim SS, Jeon GW, Kim MJ, Chang YS, Park WS, Choi ES. Granulocyte stimulating factor attenuates hypoxic–ischemic brain injury by inhibiting apoptosis in neonatal rats. Yonsei Med J. 2008;49(5):836–42.
Lubics A, Reglodi D, Tamas A, Kiss P, Szalai M, Szalontay L, Lengvari I. Neurological reflexes and early motor behavior in rats subjected to neonatal hypoxic–ischemic injury. Behav Brain Res. 2005;157(1):157–65.
Fan LW, Lin S, Pang Y, Lei M, Zhang F, Rhodes PG, Cai Z. Hypoxia–ischemia induced neurological dysfunction and brain injury in the neonatal rat. Behav Brain Res. 2005;165(1):80–90.
Stola A, Perlman J. Post-resuscitation strategies to avoid ongoing injury following intrapartum hypoxia–ischemia. Semin Fetal Neonatal Med. 2008;13(6):424–31.
Latini G, De Mitri B, Del Vecchio A, Chitano G, De Felice C, Zetterstrom R. Foetal growth of kidneys, liver and spleen in intrauterine growth restriction: “programming” causing “metabolic syndrome” in adult age. Acta Paediatr. 2004;93(12):1635–9.
Chvojkova Z, Ostadalova I, Ostadal B. Low body weight and cardiac tolerance to ischemia in neonatal rats. Physiol Res. 2005;54(4):357–62.
Platzbecker U, Prange-Krex G, Bornhauser M, Koch R, Soucek S, Aikele P, Haack A, Haag C, Schuler U, Berndt A, et al. Spleen enlargement in healthy donors during G-CSF mobilization of PBPCs. Transfusion. 2001;41(2):184–9.
Spandou E, Papadopoulou Z, Soubasi V, Karkavelas G, Simeonidou C, Pazaiti A, Guiba-Tziampiri O. Erythropoietin prevents long-term sensorimotor deficits and brain injury following neonatal hypoxia–ischemia in rats. Brain Res. 2005;1045(1–2):22–30.
Matchett GA, Calinisan JB, Matchett GC, Martin RD, Zhang JH. The effect of granulocyte-colony stimulating factor in global cerebral ischemia in rats. Brain Res. 2007;1136(1):200–7.
Khatibi NH, Jadhav V, Saidi M, Chen W, Martin R, Stier G, Tang J, Zhang JH. Granulocyte colony-stimulating factor treatment provides neuroprotection in surgically induced brain injured mice. Acta Neurochir Suppl. 2011;111:265–9.
Shimozaki K, Nakajima K, Hirano T, Nagata S. Involvement of STAT3 in the granulocyte colony-stimulating factor-induced differentiation of myeloid cells. J Biol Chem. 1997;272(40):25184–9.
Hubel K, Engert A. Clinical applications of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor: an update and summary. Ann Hematol. 2003;82(4):207–13.
Hubel K, Engert A. Granulocyte transfusion therapy for treatment of infections after cytotoxic chemotherapy. Onkologie. 2003;26(1):73–9.
Acknowledgments
This study was supported by NIH grant R01NS060936 to J. Tang
Sources of funding
The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Doycheva, D., Shih, G., Chen, H. et al. Granulocyte-colony Stimulating Factor in Combination with Stem Cell Factor Confers Greater Neuroprotection after Hypoxic–Ischemic Brain Damage in the Neonatal Rats than a Solitary Treatment. Transl. Stroke Res. 4, 171–178 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12975-012-0225-2
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12975-012-0225-2