Abstract
Neuroglobin (NGB) is a recently discovered globin, which is widely expressed in vertebrates central and peripheral nervous systems. Previous studies have shown that NGB is important in protecting neurons from hypoxic/ischemic brain injuries. However, there are no reports on the neuroprotective effects of NGB after mechanical injury. Currently, we showed that the NGB expression level in neurons increased continuously from 2 h after injury, and reached a peak at 16 h (p < 0.01), after which it decreased sharply. NGB that was overexpressed in mechanically injured B104 cells showed significant neuroprotective effects. Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) activity decreased and cell survival rates increased (p < 0.01, n = 5). In the rat model of focal brain trauma, the NGB expression increased sharply at 1 h, after which it increased continuously until it reached a peak at 6 h, and then gradually decreased (p < 0.01, n = 5). Furthermore, moderate and severe injury resulted in significantly higher NGB levels than did mild injury (p < 0.01, n = 5). Our results indicate that NGB exerts significant neuroprotective effects after mechanical injury, and thus has important implications for the prognosis and cure of traumatic brain injury.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Burmester T, Gerlach F, Hankeln T (2007) Regulation and role of neuroglobin and cytoglobin under hypoxia. Adv Exp Med Biol 618:169–180
Burmester T, Hankeln T (2004) Neuroglobin: a respiratory protein of the nervous system. News Physiol Sci 19:110–113
Burmester T, Weich B, Reinhardt S, Hankeln T (2000) A vertebrate globin expressed in the brain. Nature 407(6803):520–523
Garry DJ, Mammen PP (2003) Neuroprotection and the role of neuroglobin. Lancet 362(9381):342–343
Zhang CG, Li L, Deng MY et al (2001) Coding region cDNA sequence cloning of rat neuroglobin gene, its polymorphism feature and tissue expression profile analysis. Yi Chuan Xue Bao 28(11):997–1001
Wang X, Liu J, Zhu H et al (2008) Effects of neuroglobin overexpression on acute brain injury and long-term outcomes after focal cerebral ischemia. Stroke 39(6):1869–1874
Sun Y, Jin K, Mao XO, Zhu Y, Greenberg DA (2001) Neuroglobin is up-regulated by and protects neurons from hypoxic-ischemic injury. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 98(26):15306–15311
Khan AA, Sun Y, Jin K et al (2007) A neuroglobin-overexpressing transgenic mouse. Gene 398(1-2):172–176
Feeney DM, Boyeson MG, Linn RT, Murray HM, Dail WG (1981) Responses to cortical injury: I. Methodology and local effects of contusions in the rat. Brain Res 211(1):67–77
Venis S (2001) Neuroglobin might protect brain cells during stroke. Lancet 358(9298):2055
Greenberg DA, Jin K, Khan AA (2008) Neuroglobin: an endogenous neuroprotectant. Curr Opin Pharmacol 8(1):20–24
Jin K, Mao XO, Xie L, Khan AA, Greenberg DA (2008) Neuroglobin protects against nitric oxide toxicity. Neurosci Lett 430(2):135–137
Emara M, Salloum N, Allalunis-Turner J (2009) Expression and hypoxic up-regulation of neuroglobin in human glioblastoma cells. Mol Oncol 3(1):45–53
Verratti V, Di Giulio C, Bianchi G et al (2009) Neuroglobin in aging carotid bodies. Adv Exp Med Biol 648:191–195
Li RC, Morris MW, Lee SK, Pouranfar F, Wang Y, Gozal D (2008) Neuroglobin protects PC12 cells against oxidative stress. Brain Res 1190:159–166
Li RC, Pouranfar F, Lee SK, Morris MW, Wang Y, Gozal D (2008) Neuroglobin protects PC12 cells against beta-amyloid-induced cell injury. Neurobiol Aging 29(12):1815–1822
Shang A, Zhou D, Wang L et al (2006) Increased neuroglobin levels in the cerebral cortex and serum after ischemia-reperfusion insults. Brain Res 1078(1):219–226
Kelsen J, Hundahl CA, Hay-Schmidt A (2008) Neuroglobin endogenous neuroprotectant or maintenance of homeostasis? Stroke. 39(11):e177–178 (author reply e9)
Wakasugi K, Nakano T, Morishima I (2003) Oxidized human neuroglobin acts as a heterotrimeric G alpha protein guanine nucleotide dissociation inhibitor. J Biol Chem 278(38):36505–36512
Hundahl C, Kelsen J, Kjaer K et al (2006) Does neuroglobin protect neurons from ischemic insult? A quantitative investigation of neuroglobin expression following transient MCAo in spontaneously hypertensive rats. Brain Res 1085(1):19–27
Acknowledgments
Thanks for the help of data analysis from SysBiomics Bioinformatics (Beijing) Co., Ltd. (http://www.sysbiomics.com). This work was supported by National Natural Science Foundation (No.81071055, No.30801249); Open project from Medical Neurobiology of State Key Laboratory (No.09-08); Military medicine and public health research project (No.10BJZ04).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Shang, A., Liu, K., Wang, H. et al. Neuroprotective effects of neuroglobin after mechanical injury. Neurol Sci 33, 551–558 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-011-0772-4
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10072-011-0772-4