Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
8337978 | The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology | 2017 | 37 Pages |
Abstract
Accumulating evidence suggests that expression of aromatase, the enzyme responsible for the conversion of androgens to estrogens, is transiently upregulated in rat stroke models. It was further suggested that increased aromatase expression is linked to neuroinflammation and that it is neuroprotective in females. Our goal was to investigate aromatase upregulation in male rats subjected to experimental stroke in relationship to neuroinflammation, infarct and response to treatment with different putative neuroprotective agents. Intact male rats were subjected to transient (90Â min) middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and administered selfotel (N-methyl-d-aspartic acid (NMDA) receptor competitive antagonist), TPEN (a zinc chelator), a combination of the two drugs or vehicle, injected immediately after reperfusion. Animals were killed 14Â days after MCAO and consecutive brain sections used to measure aromatase expression, cerebral infarct volume and neuroinflammation. Quantitative immunohistochemistry (IHC) demonstrated increased brain aromatase expression in the peri-infarct area relative to contralesional area, which was partially abrogated by neuroprotective agents. There was no correlation between aromatase expression in the peri-infarct zone and infarct volume, which was reduced by neuroprotective agents. Microglial activation, measured by quantitative autoradiography, was positively correlated with infarct and inversely correlated with aromatase expression in the peri-infarct zone. Our findings indicate that focal ischemia upregulates brain aromatase in the male rat brain at 14Â days post surgery, which is within the time frame documented in females. However, the lack of negative correlation between aromatase expression and infarct volume and lack of positive correlation between microgliosis and aromatase do not support a major role for aromatase as a mediator of neuroprotection or a causal relationship between microglial activation and increased aromatase expression in male focal ischemia.
Keywords
MCATSPOPAPN-methyl-d-aspartic acidMCAONMDATPENCCATBStPAECAPBSICADMSOPCAaromataseNeuroinflammationmiddle cerebral artery occlusionDimethyl sulfoxideStrokemiddle cerebral arteryPosterior cerebral arteryexternal carotid arteryinternal carotid arterycommon carotid arteryWestphosphate buffer salinetissue plasminogen activatorMale ratperoxidase antiperoxidasetranslocator protein
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Authors
Yu H. Zhong, Jasbeer Dhawan, Joel A. Kovoor, John Sullivan, Wei X. Zhang, Dennis Choi, Anat Biegon,