Effect of partial ischemia on phospholipids and postischemic lipid peroxidation in rabbit spinal cord

Gender differences in oxidative stress in spinal cord of rats submitted to repeated restraint stress

Behavioral and neurochemical gender-specific effects have been observed following repeated stress. The aim of this study is to verify the effects of repeated restraint stress on free radical production (evaluated by DCF test), lipoperoxidation (evaluated by TBARS levels), and total antioxidant reactivity (TAR) in the spinal cord of male and female rats. Results demonstrate no effect on lipoperoxidation; chronic stress decreased TAR both in male and female spinal cord. In addition, gender differences were observed both in TAR and in the production of free radicals, both being increased in females. These results may be relevant to the gender-specific differences observed after exposure to repeated stress.

Iron status in association with cardiovascular disease risk in 3 controlled feeding studies

BACKGROUND

The role of body iron stores in free radical-induced peroxidation and cardiovascular disease risk has been debated, but controlled feeding studies using measurements of non-transferrin-bound iron (NTBI) and LDL oxidation have not been conducted.

OBJECTIVE

We tested the hypothesis that NTBI and other measures of iron status do not affect oxidative susceptibility in healthy subjects with normal iron status.

DESIGN

Plasma samples were analyzed from 77 healthy men and women aged 20-65 y who participated in 3 controlled feeding studies in which the type and amount of dietary fat were controlled. Iron status and in vitro LDL oxidation were assessed at baseline and at the end of each feeding period (4-8 wk).

RESULTS

No significant relations were found between any measure of iron status (ferritin: 83 +/- 8.9 micro g/L; iron: 20.9 +/- 5.4 micro mol/L; TIBC: 74.4 +/- 11.0 micro mol/L; NTBI: 0.184 +/- 0.15 micro mol/L) and the in vitro measures of LDL oxidation (total dienes: 485 +/- 55 micro mol/mg LDL protein; lag time: 51.7 +/- 15.9 min; and rate of oxidation: 25.4 +/- 6.8 micro mol dienes.min(-1).g LDL protein(-1)). Equal-iron peanut butter-based diets were associated with higher plasma iron in men (22.4 +/- 3.8 micro mol/L) than was the olive oil diet (17.7 +/- 4.5 micro mol/L) (P = 0.02), but this slight elevation did not alter LDL oxidation.

CONCLUSIONS

Diet composition may affect plasma iron in men, but LDL oxidative susceptibility is unaffected by the subtle variation in iron status. Thus, the results do not support a relation between iron status and LDL oxidative susceptibility, a possible risk factor for cardiovascular disease.

The regional changes of the catalytic NOS activity in the spinal cord of the rabbit after repeated sublethal ischemia

The regional distribution of catalytic NOS activity was studied in the lumbosacral segments of the spinal cord of the rabbit during single (8-min), twice (8-, 8-min) and thrice repeated (8-, 8-, 9-min) sublethal ischemia followed each time by 1 h of reperfusion. Single ischemia/reperfusion induced a significant increase of cNOS activity in almost all spinal cord regions, with the exception of non-significant increase in the dorsal horn. Sublethal ischemia repeated twice produced a significant decrease of enzyme activity in the intermediate zone and ventral horn and an increase in the white matter columns. Within thrice repeated ischemia, the activity of cNOS in the gray matter regions was similar to that found after a single ischemia/reperfusion. For all the animals subjected to single and twice repeated sublethal ischemic insults, there was no neurological impairment. Following thrice repeated ischemic insults, four out of five of the experimental animals recovered only partially and one was completely paraplegic. Our results do not indicate a cumulative effect of repeated sublethal ischemia on cNOS activity and, consequently, on NO production. The NO generated during thrice repeated ischemia/reperfusion appears to have a detrimental effect on the neurological outcome.

Influence of posttraumatic hypoxia on behavioral recovery and histopathological outcome following moderate spinal cord injury in rats

Pulmonary dysfunction leading to secondary hypoxia is a common complication of spinal cord injury (SCI). The purpose of this study was to clarify the behavioral and histopathological consequences of posttraumatic hypoxia in an established model of traumatic SCI. Forty-five female Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to one of four groups, including (1) laminectomy and normoxia (n = 10), (2) laminectomy and hypoxia (n = 11), (3) NYU weight-drop and normoxia (n = 12), and (4) NYU weight-drop and hypoxia (n = 11). For these studies, a moderate injury was induced by adjusting the height of the weight drop (10 g) to 12.5 mm above the exposed spinal cord (T10). Immediately after injury, PaO2 in the hypoxic rats was kept between 30 and 35 mm Hg for 30 min. PaO2 in the normoxic group was maintained over 100 mm Hg, while PaCO2 in all rats was maintained at 35-40 mm Hg. The behavior of the rats was checked every 7 days using the Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) locomotor rating scale. Rats were sacrificed at 8 weeks for quantitative histopathological analysis of lesion areas. During the hypoxic insults, the mean arterial blood pressure dropped in both sham control and weight-drop rats (p < 0.01). At the end of the 8-week monitoring period, BBB scores were 12.5 +/- 3.1 (mean +/- SEM) and 14.2 +/- 3.4 in the normoxic and hypoxic traumatized rats, respectively. No significant difference between the traumatized groups was documented with BBB monitoring. In contrast, the percent of gray matter necrosis at the impact epicenter was significantly increased in hypoxic versus normoxic SCI rats (p < 0.01). These data demonstrate that posttraumatic hypoxia complicated by mild hypotension aggravates the histopathological consequences of SCI and further emphasize the need to control for secondary hypoxic insults after experimental and clinical SCI. Potential explanations for the lack of a correlation between the behavioral and histopathological findings are discussed.

Phospholipid composition in spinal cord regions after ischemia/reperfusion

Ischemia-reperfusion induced changes in concentration of phosphatidylcholine (PC), phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), phosphatidylserine (PS), phosphatidylinositol (PI) and sphingomyelin (SM) in the gray matter taken in toto, white matter, dorsal horns, intermediate zone and ventral horns of the rabbit's spinal cord were studied and compared with neurohistopathological changes. With the exception of PI concentration in the dorsal horns, ischemia of 25 min caused significant degradation of all phospholipids. While short-lasting recirculation (1 h) did not returned the levels of phospholipids to control values, postischemic recirculation for 3 h sharply increased the resynthesis of all phospholipids, but only the concentration of PE, PS, and PI in the dorsal horns and PC in the intermediate zone significantly improved and returned close to control values. Corresponding neurohistopathological changes resulting after the same reperfusion periods are given.

Ischemia-reperfusion injury in the spinal cord of rabbits strongly enhances lipid peroxidation and modifies phospholipid profiles

The effect of spinal cord ischemia (10, 20, and 40 min) and post-ischemic reperfusion (10, 30, and 60 min) on lipid peroxidation and phospholipids was investigated. Spinal cord ischemia was accompanied by lipolytic processes with significant changes in concentration of lipid peroxidation products (LPP). Reestablishment of the blood supply after 10 min ischemia was accompanied by significantly increased levels of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBA-RS) after 10 and 30 min of reperfusion. Following 20 and 40 min ischemia a significant increase was observed at all reperfusion periods. Ischemia itself significantly reduced the concentration of phosphatidyl inositol (IP), phosphatidyl ethanolamine (EP) and ethanolamine plasmalogens (Epls). Significant changes were observed in concentration of phosphatidyl serine (SP) too, but only after 20 and 40 min of ischemia. The concentration of phosphatidic acid (PA) was significantly reduced only after 10 min of ischemia. The onset of reperfusion after ischemia was accompanied by a diverse pattern of changes in PA, IP, Epls and SP, while the concentration of EP remained at the above mentioned ischemic intervals.

Epidural perfusion cooling protects against spinal cord ischemia in rabbits. An evaluation of cholinergic function

The protective effect of regional epidural spinal cord cooling was evaluated in a rabbit spinal cord ischemia model. Hypothermia was performed by the continual perfusion of 2-4 degrees C cold saline in the epidural space around the ischemic lumbar segments, 4 min before and during ischemia. The spinal cord was deeply hypothermic (21 degrees C) throughout the whole ischemic period. Ischemia was induced by the occlusion of the abdominal aorta for 40 min under normothermic or hypothermic conditions. Recovery of motor and sensory functions, spinal cord-evoked potentials, and motor-evoked potentials were then evaluated up to 24 h postischemia. After this period, choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activities were measured, in particular, zones of the lumbar spinal cord. AChE was also investigated histochemically. Animals in the normothermic group displayed fully developed spastic paraplegia with near complete loss of spinal somatosensory and motor-evoked potentials. AChE histochemistry showed extensive necrotic changes affecting lumbosacral gray matter. These changes corresponding with the pronounced losses of ChAT and AChE activities indicated irreversible injury of the spinal cord. In contrast, after hypothermic ischemia, animals survived without any sign of neurological impairment with almost full recovery of the spinal cord-evoked potentials. ChAT and AChE activities in the gray matter showed near control values corresponding with histochemical analysis of fully preserved gray matter. Hypothermia under the present experimental conditions efficiently protected the spinal cord against ischemic injury.

Cholinergic enzymes in spinal cord infarction. Biochemical and histochemical changes

Activities of choline acetyltransferase (ChAT) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) were studied in the ventral and dorsal horns and the intermediate zone of the rabbit lumbar spinal cord (L4-7) 24 and 96 h after ischemia caused by 20 or 40 min occlusion of the abdominal aorta. Changes of AChE and butyrylcholinesterase (BChE) activities were also detected histochemically by the direct thiocholine method. No significant changes were found immediately after ischemia. The most remarkable change after 20 min ischemia and 1 or 4 d of reperfusion was heterogeneous decrease in ChAT and AChE activities in the examined parts of gray matter. The highest loss of enzyme activities was found in the ventral horns and the lowest in dorsal horns. Following 40 min ischemia and reperfusion the significant depletion in enzyme activities in all investigated zones of the gray matter was accompanied with necrotic degenerative changes. There was a relatively greater decrease in ChAT and AChE activities in the ventral horns that corresponded with a more prominent morphological damage of the cholinergic neurons in this zone of the spinal cord.

The relationship between excitotoxicity and oxidative stress in the central nervous system

Excitotoxicity and oxidative stress are two phenomena that have been repeatedly described as being implicated in a wide range of disorders of the nervous system. Such disorders include several common idiopathic neurological diseases, traumatic brain injury, and the consequences of exposure to certain neurotoxic agents. While there is evidence that metabolic derangements can lead to these adverse processes, and that these processes may synergize in their damaging effects, the degree of interdependence, and the causal relation between them is not clear. The intent of this review is to delineate potential mechanisms which may unit hyperexcitation to the excessive generation of reactive oxygen species. The degree of linkage between these events appears rather strong. It is likely that excitoxicity frequently leads to a pro-oxidant condition but that high rates of these events appears rather strong. It is likely that excitoxicity frequently leads to a pro-oxidant condition but that high rates of generation of reactive oxygen species are not invariably accompanied by a hyperexcited neuronal state Both excitoxic and 'oxidotoxic' states result from the failure of normal compensatory antiexcitatory and antioxidant mechanisms to maintain cellular homeostasis.

Effect of liposomes on lipid peroxidation and total phospholipids in rabbit ischemic spinal cord model

The effect of spinal cord ischemia (induced by abdominal aorta ligation for 20 minutes) on lipid peroxidation and TPL composition was investigated and discussed in our previous articles. It is known, that partially reduced species of oxygen can be formed under aerobic conditions. For that reason, the effect of ligation release for 60 minutes was observed in experimental animals treated with the selected liposomes. Administration of CP, (CP+SA) and (CP+Chol) liposomes applied 30 minutes before 20 minutes ischemia revealed an ameliorating effect on in vivo and in vitro Fe-dependent peroxidation manifested by TBA-RS accumulation. Combined use of (CP+SA) liposomes with lipophylic form of stobadine (DP 1031) was not more effective. Application of CP liposomes directly before the ligation release slightly increased the antiradical capacity in spinal cord homogenates comparing with not-treated animals. Accumulation of TBA-RS was accompanied by TPL degradation during recirculation period but values of TPL after liposomal treatment were unaffected.

Graded postischemic reoxygenation reduces lipid peroxidation and reperfusion injury in the rabbit spinal cord

The effect of graded postischemic reoxygenation on lipid peroxidation, neurological recovery and the degree of spinal cord damage after 20 min abdominal aorta ligature was tested in the rabbit. In comparison with normoxic recirculation, the graded postischemic reoxygenation (GPIR) during early phase of reperfusion (30 min) significantly reduced the level of lipid peroxidation products (LPP) in vivo and in vitro after 1 h survival. Neuropathological changes in animals with normoxic reperfusion showed gradual deterioration ranging from appearance of heavy argyrophilic neurons after 1 h reperfusion followed by neuronal necroses after 12 h survival to the development of an extensive spongy lesion reaching ventral horn and intermediate zone 2 days postoperatively. The neuroprotective effect of graded postischemic reoxygenation was evident even after 2 days survival with preserved structural integrity of the gray matter as confirmed by light and electron microscopy. The results indicate that graded postischemic reoxygenation during 1 h reperfusion can reduce lipid peroxidation and suppress irreversible neuronal damage using developing during the early reperfusion phase.

The blood-brain barrier permeability in graded postischemic spinal cord reoxygenation in rabbits

Postischemic blood-brain barrier permeability changes were studied using a rabbit spinal cord ischemia model followed by normoxic recirculation (group I) or graded postischemic reoxygenation (group II). No signs of Evans blue leakage were found in lumbar segments 3 h after normoxic blood recirculation. After 6 h, the fluorescence was apparent in the perivascular space and in the pericytes, followed by a massive penetration of the tracer into the neuropil and perikarya at 12 h survival; 18 h after normoxic reperfusion, the fluorescence was localized in the cytoplasm of the middle-sized and large neurons. Graded postischemic reoxygenation of lumbar segments applied during the same survival periods had a highly protective effect on vascular membrane permeability. The structural components of the vascular wall as well as neuropil and perikarya remained after its application entirely tracer free.

Oxygen free radicals and brain dysfunction

Oxygen free radicals, any chemical moiety containing an oxygen atom with an unpaired electron in the outer orbital shell, are generated during many normal biochemical reactions in living tissue. The unpaired electron makes these compounds highly reactive and they can initiate disruptive peroxidation reactions with various substrates important to the survival of cells such as proteins, lipids and nucleic acids. A fairly complex defense system has evolved to protect living tissue from free radicals and to minimize the damage they might cause. Neurons are especially vulnerable to free radical attack and impaired defenses or exposure to excess free radicals can lead to neuronal death. Free radicals contribute to neuronal loss in cerebral ischemia and hemorrhage and may be involved in the degeneration of neurons in epilepsy, schizophrenia, tardive dyskinesia, normal aging, Parkinson's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease. The development of drugs that limit or prevent the attack of free radicals on neurons would be an important advance in the treatment of these conditions.