Cocaine ‑ and amphetamine‑regulated transcript (CART) is associated with dopamine and is protective against ischemic stroke.

Cocaine‑ and amphetamine‑regulated transcript (CART) is associated with dopamine and is protective against ischemic stroke. Mol Med Rep. 2018 Jul 19;: Authors: Lin L, Sun D, Chang J, Ma M, Zhou X, Zhao M, Li J Abstract Cocaine and amphetamine‑regulated transcript (CART) is a neuropeptide that can protect brains against ischemic injury. The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of the CART within ischemic stroke and it possible mechanism. The expression levels of dopamine (DA) and CART in ischemic brain tissues of mice were measured following middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO). After receiving the treatment of DA and CART, the infarct volume of brain was measured in mice with MCAO. In addition, the function and potential mechanism of CART in ischemic stroke were further investigated. DA and CART expression was significantly decreased in mice with MCAO compared with normal control mice. Treatment of mice with MCAO with exogenous CART significantly decreased the extent of brain injury compared with untreated mice with MCAO. Treatment with exogenous CART promoted the survival of ex vivo neurons following oxygen‑glucose deprivation (OGD), while exogenous DA induced CART mRNA expression in a dose‑dependent manner, which suggested an association between CART and DA. Apoptosis of ex vivo neurons was significantly increased following OGD, however treatment with exogenous CART significantly inhibited this effe...
Source: Molecular Medicine Reports - Category: Molecular Biology Tags: Mol Med Rep Source Type: research