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Oxytocin mediates social neuroprotection after cerebral ischemia.

ABSTRACT: The reduced incidence, morbidity, and mortality of stroke among humans with strong social support have been well-documented; however, the mechanisms underlying these socially mediated phenomena remain unknown, but may involve oxytocin (OT), a hormone that modulates some aspects of social behavior in humans and other animals.In the present study, adult male mice were socially isolated (housed individually) or socially paired (housed with an ovariectomized female); social pairing increased hypothalamic OT gene expression. To determine whether a causal relationship exists between increased OT and improved stroke outcome, mice were treated with exogenous OT or OT receptor antagonist beginning 1 week before induction of experimental stroke via middle cerebral artery occlusion.Relative to social isolation, social housing attenuated infarct size, neuroinflammation, and oxidative stress following experimental stroke; the neuroprotective effect of social housing was eliminated by receptor antagonist treatment. In contrast, administration of OT to socially isolated mice reproduced the neuroprotection conferred by social housing. We further report evidence for a direct suppressive action of OT on cultured microglia, which is a key instigator in the development of neuroinflammation after cerebral ischemia.These findings support the hypothesis that OT mediates the neuroprotective effect of social interaction on stroke outcome.

SUBMITTER: Karelina K

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3226880 | biostudies-literature | 2011 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Oxytocin mediates social neuroprotection after cerebral ischemia.

Karelina Kate K Stuller Kathleen A KA Jarrett Brant B Zhang Ning N Wells Jackie J Norman Greg J GJ DeVries A Courtney AC

Stroke 20110929 12

<h4>Background and purpose</h4>The reduced incidence, morbidity, and mortality of stroke among humans with strong social support have been well-documented; however, the mechanisms underlying these socially mediated phenomena remain unknown, but may involve oxytocin (OT), a hormone that modulates some aspects of social behavior in humans and other animals.<h4>Methods</h4>In the present study, adult male mice were socially isolated (housed individually) or socially paired (housed with an ovariecto ...[more]

PMID: 21960564

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Project description:Background and purposeAquaporin-4(AQP4) is an abundant water channel protein in brain that regulates water transport to maintain homeostasis. Cerebral edema resulting from AQP4 over expression is considered to be one of the major determinants for progressive neuronal insult during cerebral ischemia. Although, both upregulation and downregulation of AQP4 expression is associated with brain pathology, over expression of AQP4 is one of the chief contributors of water imbalance in brain during ischemic pathology. We have found that Piroxicam binds to AQP4 with optimal binding energy value. Thus, we hypothesized that Piroxicam is neuroprotective in the rodent cerebral ischemic model by mitigating cerebral edema via AQP4 regulation.MethodsRats were treated with Piroxicam OR placebo at 30 min prior, 2 h post and 4 h post 60 minutes of MCAO followed by 24 hour reperfusion. Rats were evaluated for neurological deficits and motor function just before sacrifice. Brains were harvested for infarct size estimation, water content measurement, biochemical analysis, RT-PCR and western blot experiments.ResultsPiroxicam pretreatment thirty minutes prior to ischemia and four hour post reperfusion afforded neuroprotection as evident through significant reduction in cerebral infarct volume, improvement in motor behavior, neurological deficit and reduction in brain edema. Furthermore, ischemia induced surge in levels of nitrite and malondialdehyde were also found to be significantly reduced in ischemic brain regions in treated animals. This neuroprotection was found to be associated with inhibition of acid mediated rise in intracellular calcium levels and also downregulated AQP4 expression.ConclusionsFindings of the present study provide significant evidence that Piroxicam acts as a potent AQP4 regulator and renders neuroprotection in focal cerebral ischemia. Piroxicam could be clinically exploited for the treatment of brain stroke along with other anti-stroke therapeutics in future.

Dataset Information

Oxytocin mediates social neuroprotection after cerebral ischemia.

Publications

Oxytocin mediates social neuroprotection after cerebral ischemia.

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