Launching Hsp70 neuroprotection: two drugs better than one

Emerging Trends in the Use of Therapeutic Hypothermia as a Method for Neuroprotection in Brain Damage (Review)

The review analyzes current clinical studies on the use of therapeutic hypothermia as a neuroprotective method for treatment of brain damage. This method yields good outcomes in patients with acute brain injuries and chronic critical conditions. There has been shown the interest of researchers in studying the preventive potential of therapeutic hypothermia in secondary neuronal damage. There has been described participation of new molecules producing positive effect on tissues and cells of the central nervous system - proteins and hormones of cold stress - in the mechanisms of neuroprotection in the brain. The prospects of using targeted temperature management in treatment of brain damage are considered.

miR-223 induces retinal ganglion cells apoptosis and inflammation via decreasing HSP-70 in vitro and in vivo

PURPOSE

Glaucoma is an eye disease characterized by the loss of peripheral vision, high pressure in the eye, optic nerve damage, and the loss of peripheral vision due to loss of retinal ganglion cells (RGCs). A number of miRNA have been detected in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. The paper was to focus on the miR-223 in RGCs apoptosis and inflammation, and investigated the possible mechanisms in vitro and in vivo.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

After miR-223 inhibitor and mimics transfected into RGCs, the expression of miR-223 was detected by QRT-PCR, cell proliferation were performed by CCK-8 and EdU assays, cell apoptosis were measured by flow cytometer and TUNEL assays, apoptosis and inflammation -related proteins were detected by western blot, and whether miR-223 target to HSP-70 was detected by Luciferease reporter assay. Moreover, the effects si-HSP-70 on RGCs or RGCs transfected with miR-223 inhibitor were detected. In vivo study. New Zealand White rabbits (20 females) were used to detect the effect of miR-223 on the rabbit glaucoma model induced by injection of carbomer.

RESULTS

CCK-8 and EdU assays demonstrated that miR-223 mimics decreased RGCs proliferation. FITC-Annexin V/PI Apoptosis and TUNEL assays showed that miR-223 mimics induced RGCs apoptosis. Western blot revealed that miR-223 mimics enhanced the expression of relative apoptosis and inflammation factors. Further, we demonstrated that miR-223 could inhibit cell proliferation, induce cell apoptosis as well as inflammation by targeting HSP-70 in RGCs. Moreover, the results were confirmed in rabbit glaucoma model.

CONCLUSIONS

In summary, miR-223 plays a vital role in RGCs by regulating HSP-70 expression, and the new therapeutic strategy might potentially contribute to benefit glaucoma treatment.

Peripheral blood mRNA expressions of stress biomarkers in manic episode and subsequent remission

Theoretical models of the neuroprogressive nature of bipolar disorder (BD) are based on the hypothesis that it is an accelerated aging disease, with the allostatic load playing a major role. Glucocorticoids, oxidative stress markers, inflammatory cytokines and neurotrophins play important roles in BD. The messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expressions of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), glucocorticoid receptor (GR), heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) were examined in the peripheral blood of 20 adult male, drug-free BD patients during manic and remission periods and in 20 adult male, healthy controls. mRNA expression was measured using the quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). Compared to the controls, the expressions of BDNF and tPA mRNA were down-regulated in mania. In remission, BNDF and tPA mRNA levels increased, but they were still lower than those of the controls. Between mania and remission periods, only the change in mRNA levels of BDNF reached statistical significance. The results suggest that BDNF and tPA may be biomarkers of BD and that proteolytic conversion of BDNF may be important in the pathophysiology of BD. The change in BDNF levels between mania and remission could be adaptive and used to follow the progression of BD.