Expression and protective role of neuroglobin in astrocytes

【作者】 陈晓钎； 秦绿叶； 张成岗； 于常海；

【机构】 华中科技大学同济医学院病理生理学系； 北京大学神经科学研究所； 军事医学科学院放射医学研究所；

【摘要】 <正>Neuroglobin, a recently discovered intracellular respiratory globin in neurons, may play a crucial role in oxygen homeostasis in the brain. We report the expression of neuroglobin in primary cultures of cerebral cortical astrocytes as well as its dynamic distribution within astrocytes. The presence of neuroglobin in astrocytes has been confirmed by immunostaining neuroglobin and glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in astrocytes isolated from the brain, but expression levels of neuroglobin in astrocytes are much lower than in neurons. During ischemia, the expression levels of neuroglobin in astrocytes are up-regulated, and transient transfection of a neuroglobin antisense oligodeoxynucleotide significantly enhances apoptotic death in ischemic astrocytes. Taken together, neuroglobin is expressed in astroctyes and its up-regulation during ischemia may exert a level of protection to the brain by supplying oxygen to the ischemic cells during physical insult.更多还原