EGP-314 is expressed differentially in three brain zones at an early time in an experimentally induced ischemia rat model

Gene expression in frontal, occipital, and hippocampal regions of rat brains at 15 min of ischemic injury was studied in a rat model by producing focal cerebral ischemia through middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion without reperfusion. Catalase, epithelial glycoprotein (EGP-314), cytochrome C oxidase-subunit 1, ribosomal L31 protein, and ceruloplasmin were found to be differentially expressed. Specific primers were designed to study this newly reported brain EGP-314, a cellular adhesion molecule involved in cell-cell and cell-extracellular matrix interactions and related with cytoskeletal organization, differentiation, and proliferation. In the frontal and occipital lobes, EGP-314 expression was low in control and ischemic conditions and increased in sham injured conditions, whereas in the hippocampal region its expression was induced only by ischemia. In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry revealed that EGP-314 mRNA and the protein were present in the ischemic hippocampus pyramidal neurons. DNA fragmentation was demonstrated by TUNEL and LM-PCR analysis in hippocampus region. TUNEL positive pyramidal neurons were observed at 15 min of ischemia. DNA ladder was found at 12 and 15 min of ischemia.