Abstract
To determine whether Bcl-2 could influence adult neurogenesis and prevent apoptosis of newborn neurons, we injected Bcl-2 expressing plasmid into the lateral ventricle of rat brain immediately following a 30-min occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO). We found that Bcl-2 increased neural progenitor cells (BrdU+-DCX+) in the ipsilateral striatum, newborn immature neurons (BrdU+-Tuj-1+) and newborn mature neurons (BrdU+-MAP-2+) in the ipsilateral striatum and frontal cortex at 1 to 4 weeks following MCAO. Bcl-2 overexpression promoted development of newborn neurons into GABAergic and cholinergic neurons in the ipsilateral striatum. Moreover, Bcl-2 significantly decreased the apoptosis of newborn neurons, determined by double staining of Tuj-1 and activated caspase-3 (Tuj-1+-Casp+). These results indicate that overexpression of Bcl-2 in adult rat brain enhances neurogenesis and survival of newborn neurons. Increasing neurogenesis and preventing the death of newborn neuron may be a strategy to aid in the repair of adult brain after stroke.
Publication types
-
Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
MeSH terms
-
Animals
-
Apoptosis / genetics*
-
Caspase 3 / metabolism
-
Cell Differentiation / genetics
-
Cell Proliferation
-
Cytoprotection / genetics
-
Disease Models, Animal
-
Doublecortin Protein
-
Genetic Vectors / genetics
-
Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / metabolism*
-
Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / physiopathology
-
Infarction, Middle Cerebral Artery / therapy
-
Interneurons / cytology
-
Interneurons / metabolism
-
Male
-
Nerve Degeneration / metabolism*
-
Nerve Degeneration / physiopathology
-
Nerve Degeneration / prevention & control
-
Neurons / cytology
-
Neurons / metabolism*
-
Prosencephalon / cytology
-
Prosencephalon / metabolism
-
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / genetics
-
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2 / metabolism*
-
Rats
-
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
-
Stem Cells / cytology
-
Stem Cells / metabolism*
-
Stroke / metabolism
-
Stroke / physiopathology
-
Stroke / therapy
-
Transfection
-
Treatment Outcome
-
Tubulin / metabolism
-
Up-Regulation / genetics
Substances
-
Dcx protein, mouse
-
Dcx protein, rat
-
Doublecortin Protein
-
Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2
-
Tubulin
-
beta3 tubulin, mouse
-
Caspase 3