Title: The correlation of mRNA and protein expression of bax and bcl-x_L following fluid percussion brain injury in rats
Abstract: Objective To investigate the alterations of bcl 2 gene family in rat brain and the molecular mechanism of neuronal apoptosis following traumatic brain injury. Methods Male Sprague Dawley rats were subjected to lateral fluid percussion brain injury (FPI) of moderate severity. bax and bcl x L mRNA and protein expression were detected by RT PCR and immunohistochemistry. In addition to morphological evidence of apoptosis, TUNEL histochemistry was used to identify DNA fragmentation in situ under both light and electron microscope, whereas characteristic internucleosomal DNA fragmentation of apoptosis was demonstrated by DNA gel electrophoresis.Results bcl x L mRNA and protein decreased in the ipsilateral hemisphere to the impact site as early as 6 h post injury (67.42±7.54% and 85.85±5.72% respectively). The decrease in bcl x L mRNA and protein preceded apoptosis which was observed at 12 h post injury. And this was the main cause of up regulation of the ratio of bax to bcl x L in the acute period(minutes to hours) follwoing lateral fluid percussion brain injury. bax mRNA and protein were observed to rise slowly, doubling at 3 d post injury, returned to sham level slowly. The delayed cell death (days~weeks) may be associated with the up regulation of pro apoptotic gene bax.Conclusion The expression of bcl x L and bax coincides with apoptosis following TBI. The regulation of bax and bcl x L by TBI occurs at a point before transduction. The balance of bax/bcl x L ratio determines assuine or death of neurocytes following FPI.
Publication Year: 2001
Publication Date: 2001-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
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