Abstract:
Objective To explore the action mechanism of extracellular signal regulated kinase 5(ERK5) signaling pathway in neuronal apoptosis in rat models of intracerebral hemorrhage.
Methods The rat model of cerebral hemorrhage was established by injecting autologous blood into caudate nucleus of brain. According to the intervention methods, the rats were divided into the blank control group, sham operation group, model group and experimental group. The blank control group did not do any treatment. The sham operation group were treated with routine method, but autologous blood was not injected into caudate nucleus. The experimental group were injected with autologous blood into caudate nucleus. The neural function score was confirmed after 6h of establishing model, the protein expression levels of ERK5, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 were detected using RT-PCR and Western blot, and the apoptosis of nerve cells in the cerebral hemorrhage model was detected using TUNEL staining.
Results The neurological function score in experimental group was higher than that in model group, and lower than that in blank control group and sham operation group (P < 0.01). The differences of the relative expression levels of ERK5, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 mRNA among the blank control group, model group, sham operation group and experimental group were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The relative expression levels of ERK5, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 mRNA in experimental group were higher than those in blank control group and sham operation group, and lower than those in model group (P < 0.05). The relative expression levels of ERK5, Caspase-3 and Caspase-9 protein in experimental group were lower than those in model group, and higher than those in blank control group and sham operation group (P < 0.01). The results of TUNEL staining showed that the apoptotic index in experimental group was lower than that in model group, and higher than that in sham operation group and blank control group (P < 0.05).
Conclusions The ERK5 signaling pathway may mediate the apoptosis by regulating the expression levels of Caspase-3 and Caspase-9, and the down-regulation of ERK5 protein expression may play protective effects on nerve cells.