Previous studies have demonstrated that pretreatment with electroacupuncture (EA) elicits rapid tolerance to focal cerebral ischemia and that Wnt/β-catenin plays an essential role in cell survival and proliferation. In the present study, we investigated the role of Wnt/β-catenin in EA pretreatment-induced neuroprotection. Two hours after EA pretreatment, focal cerebral ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) for 2 h. Neuronal survival, cell apoptosis, and the Garcia neurological deficit scores were evaluated 24 h after reperfusion. Moreover, learning and memory deficits were assessed 24 h after reperfusion using the Morris water maze test. Finally, the expression of β-catenin and the B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2)/Bcl-2-associated X protein (Bax) ratio were investigated in the presence and absence of the Wnt/β-catenin antagonist Dickkopf-1 (Dkk-1), which was administered 30 min before MCAO. We observed that EA pretreatment significantly increased the neuronal expression of β-catenin in the hippocampus 24 h after reperfusion. Moreover, EA pretreatment improved the neurological outcomes, decreased neuronal loss, inhibited apoptosis, and reversed learning and memory deficits following reperfusion. These beneficial effects of EA were attenuated by Dkk-1, which effectively reversed the expression of β-catenin. Furthermore, the administration of a Wnt/β-catenin agonist upregulated the expression of β-catenin and the Bcl-2/Bax ratio. These results suggest that Wnt/β-catenin plays a role in the protective effects of EA pretreatment against cerebral ischemia, thus providing evidence of a novel mechanism underlying EA-pretreatment-induced rapid tolerance to focal cerebral ischemia.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.neuint.2016.03.011DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

cerebral ischemia
20
focal cerebral
16
expression β-catenin
16
tolerance focal
12
24 h reperfusion
12
role wnt/β-catenin
8
ischemia induced
8
rapid tolerance
8
wnt/β-catenin plays
8
learning memory
8

Similar Publications

Background: The effect of targeted temperature management (TTM) combined with decompressive craniectomy (DC) on poor-grade aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) has not been previously addressed in the literature. This study aims to investigate the therapeutic outcomes of the combination of TTM and DC in patients with poor-grade aSAH.

Methods: This study represents a secondary analysis of the Multicenter Clinical Research on Targeted Temperature Management of Poor-grade Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage (High-Quality TTM for PaSAH), a multicenter prospective study conducted in China.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The corpus callosum is a large subcortical white matter region in the brain that contains fiber connecting both cerebral hemispheres together; it has a rich blood supply; hence, infarction in this region is rare. There are a few reported cases of corpus callosal infarction, and here we present our patient who had a clinical presentation that was not suggestive of corpus callosal infarction. However, an MRI brain confirmed the location, and the patient was managed following the standard stroke treatment, and vascular risk factors were addressed and managed.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Acute ischemic stroke, especially hemorrhage cerebral infarction (HCI), resulted in the leading causes of mortality and long-term disability across populations. However, fewer researches have focused on the risk factors of first admission and recurrence of HCI.

Methods: The study included 1857 patients who underwent cerebral infarction with or without hemorrhagic transformation.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Post-traumatic cerebral infarction (PTCI) is a severe complication resulting from traumatic brain injury (TBI), which can lead to permanent neurological damage or death. The investigation of the factors associated with PTCI and the establishment of predictive models are crucial for clinical practice.

Methods: We made a retrospective analysis of clinical data from 1484 TBI patients admitted to the Neurosurgery Department of a provincial hospital from January 2018 to December 2023.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Ischemic stroke is a devastating neurovascular condition that occurs when cerebral tissue fails to receive an adequate supply of oxygen. Despite being a leading cause of death and disability worldwide, therapeutic interventions are currently limited. Polyamidoamine (PAMAM) dendrimers are nanomolecules commonly used in biomedical applications due to their ability to encapsulate small-molecules and improve their pharmacokinetic properties.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!