Distribution of Poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation and cell death after cerebral ischemia in the neonatal rat.

The nuclear enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is a key component of molecular mechanisms leading to cell death or survival after an ischemic insult. Oxidative stress damages DNA, and breaks in the DNA strands activate PARP enzyme, leading to poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation of nuclear proteins. In this study, we investigated PARP activation using immunodetection of PAR polymers in the brain of neonatal rat pups subjected to unilateral focal ischemia with reperfusion.

Induction of cell death in rat brain by a gliotoxic factor from cerebrospinal fluid in multiple sclerosis.

The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of multiple sclerosis (MS) patients contains a 17 kDa glycoproteic factor with gliotoxic properties in vitro. In order to study the physiopathological role of this gliotoxic factor in vivo, we have injected a partially purified preparation and appropriate controls in rat CSF and investigated whether it induces cell death in the rat central nervous system (CNS), 10 days and 3 months after injection. We used the TUNEL assay in association with specific immunohistochemistry to characterize dying cells in the gliotoxic factor- treated rat CNS.