Global brain ischemia in rats is associated with mitochondrial release and downregulation of Mfn2 in the cerebral cortex, but not the hippocampus.

Global brain ischemia in rats is associated with mitochondrial release and downregulation of Mfn2 in the cerebral cortex, but not the hippocampus. Int J Mol Med. 2019 Jun;43(6):2420-2428 Authors: Klacanova K, Kovalska M, Chomova M, Pilchova I, Tatarkova Z, Kaplan P, Racay P Abstract Mitochondria are crucial for neuronal cell survival and death through their functions in ATP production and the intrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Mitochondrial dysfunction is considered to play a central role in several serious human diseases, including neurodegenerative diseases, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease and ischemic neurodegeneration. The aim of the present study was to investigate the impact of transient global brain ischemia on the expression of selected proteins involved in mitochondrial dynamics and mitochondria‑associated membranes. The main foci of interest were the proteins mitofusin 2 (Mfn2), dynamin‑related protein 1 (DRP1), voltage‑dependent anion‑selective channel 1 (VDAC1) and glucose‑regulated protein 75 (GRP75). Western blot analysis of total cell extracts and mitochondria isolated from either the cerebral cortex or hippocampus of experimental animals was performed. In addition, Mfn2 was localized intracellularly by laser scanning confocal microscopy. It was demonstrated that 15‑min ischemia, or 15‑min ischemia followed by 1, 3, 24 or 72 h of reperfusion, was associated with a marked decrease of the Mfn...
Source: International Journal of Molecular Medicine - Category: Molecular Biology Authors: Tags: Int J Mol Med Source Type: research