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Elevation of neuronal expression of NAIP reduces ischemic damage in the rat hippocampus

Nature Medicine volume 3, pages 997–1004 (1997)Cite this article

Abstract

We show here that transient forebrain ischemia selectively elevates levels of neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein (NAIP) in rat neurons that are resistant to the injurious effects of this treatment. This observation suggests that increasing NAIP levels may confer protection against ischemic cell death. Consistent with this proposal, we demonstrate that two other treatments that increase neuronal NAIP levels, systemic administration of the bacterial alkaloid K2S2a and intracerebral injection of an adenovirus vector capable of overexpressing NAIP in vivo, reduce ischemic damage in the rat hippocampus. Taken together, these findings suggest that NAIP may play a key role in conferring resistance to ischemic damage and that treatments that elevate neuronal levels of this antiapoptotic protein may have utility in the treatment of stroke.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Cellular and Molecular Medicine, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8M5

    D.G. Xu, S.J. Crocker, J.-P. Doucet, M. St-Jean & G.S. Robertson

  2. Medical and Biological Laboratories Co., Ltd., 5F Sumitomoshoji Marunouchi Building, 5-10 Marunouchi 3 chome, Naka-ku, Nagoya, 460, Japan

    K. Tamai

  3. Neuroscience Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8L1

    A.M. Hakim

  4. The Institute of Medical Science, Tokai University, Kanagawa, 259-11, Japan

    J.-E. Ikeda

  5. ApoptoGen, Inc., and Molecular Genetics Research Laboratory, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, K1H 8L1

    P. Liston, C.S. Thompson, R.G. Korneluk, A. Mackenzie & G.S. Robertson

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  1. D.G. Xu
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  2. S.J. Crocker
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  4. M. St-Jean
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  8. P. Liston
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Xu, D., Crocker, S., Doucet, JP. et al. Elevation of neuronal expression of NAIP reduces ischemic damage in the rat hippocampus. Nat Med 3, 997–1004 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1038/nm0997-997

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