Biomedical subjects

Amer Kamal

Publications and source records attributed to Amer Kamal.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2003

Angiotensin converting enzyme inhibition partially prevents deficits in water maze performance, hippocampal synaptic plasticity and cerebral blood flow in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.

Vascular dysfunction is important in the pathogenesis of peripheral complications of diabetes. However, the effects of diabetes on cerebral blood flow and the role of vascular deficits in the pathogenesis of diabetic encephalopathy are still unknown. The present study examined whether experimental diabetes is associated with reduced cerebral blood flow and whether treatment with enalapril can improve cerebral perfusion and function (blood flow and functional cerebral deficits). Streptozotocin-diabetic rats were treated with the ACE inhibitor enalapril (24 mg/kg) from onset of diabetes. After 14 weeks of diabetes, 12 enalapril treated and 12 untreated diabetic rats, and 12 nondiabetic age-matched control rats were tested in a spatial version of the Morris water maze. After 16 weeks of diabetes, in the same groups, blood flow in the hippocampus and thalamus was measured by hydrogen clearance microelectrode polarography. In a separate study, hippocampal long-term potentiation was measured after 26 weeks of diabetes. Water maze performance and hippocampal long-term potentiation were impaired in diabetic rats. Furthermore, blood flow in diabetic rats was reduced by 30% (P<0.001) in the hippocampus and by 37% (P<0.005) in the thalamus compared to nondiabetic controls. Enalapril treatment significantly improved water maze performance (P<0.05), hippocampal long term potentiation (P<0.05) and hippocampal blood flow (P<0.05). Cerebral perfusion is reduced in diabetic rats compared to controls. Treatment aimed at the vasculature can improve cerebral blood flow, deficits in Morris maze performance and long term potentiation. These findings suggest that vasculopathy plays a role in the development of cerebral dysfunction in diabetic rats.

Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors↗

PubMed2003

Effects of a phorbol ester and cyclosporin A on hippocampal synaptic plasticity in streptozotocin-induced-diabetic rats: reduced sensitivity to phorbol esters.

In streptozotocin-induced diabetic (STZ-diabetic) rats, an animal model of diabetes mellitus, a reduced expression of long-term potentiation (LTP) and enhanced long-term depression (LTD) are observed. This study examined the role of protein kinase C (PKC) and protein phosphatase 2B in hippocampal synaptic transmission in STZ-diabetic rats. The phorbol ester 4beta-phorbol-12,13-dibutyrate (PDB) induced a concentration-dependent potentiation of synaptic responses in area CA1 that could partially be inhibited by the PKC inhibitor chelerythrine. In slices from STZ-diabetic rats the effectivity of PDB to increase synaptic transmission was reduced compared to slices from control animals. In STZ-diabetic rats the protein phosphatase 2B (PP2B) inhibitor cyclosporin A inhibited LTD induction, but did not affect the induction of LTP. In conclusion, these data show a reduced response to PDB in STZ-diabetic rats, and indicate that the lack of LTP induction in these animals is not due to increased PP2B activity.

Alkaloids↗

PubMed2003

Long-lasting effects of neonatal dexamethasone treatment on spatial learning and hippocampal synaptic plasticity: involvement of the NMDA receptor complex.

The effects of neonatal dexamethasone (DEX) treatment on spatial learning and hippocampal synaptic plasticity were investigated in adult rats. Spatial learning in reference and working memory versions of the Morris maze was impaired in DEX-treated rats. In hippocampal slices of DEX rats, long-term depression was facilitated and potentiation was impaired. Paired-pulse facilitation was normal, suggesting a postsynaptic defect as cause of the learning and plasticity deficits. Western blot analysis of hippocampal postsynaptic densities (PSD) revealed a reduction in NR2B subunit protein, whereas the abundance of the other major N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor subunits (NR1, NR2A), AMPA receptor subunits (GluR2/3), scaffolding proteins, and Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (alphaCaMKII) were unaltered. This selective reduction in NR2B likely resulted from altered receptor assembly rather than subunit expression, because the abundance of NR2B in the homogenate and crude synaptosomal fractions was unaltered. In addition, the activity of alphaCaMKII, an NMDA receptor complex associated protein kinase, was increased in PSD of DEX rats. The results indicate that neonatal treatment with DEX causes alterations in composition and function of the hippocampal NMDA receptor complex that persist into adulthood. These alterations likely explain the deficits in hippocampal synaptic plasticity and spatial learning induced by neonatal DEX treatment.

Animals↗

PubMed2002

Ageing and diabetes: implications for brain function.

Diabetes mellitus is associated with moderate cognitive deficits and neurophysiological and structural changes in the brain, a condition that may be referred to as diabetic encephalopathy. Diabetes increases the risk of dementia, particularly in the elderly. The emerging view is that the diabetic brain features many symptoms that are best described as "accelerated brain ageing." The clinical characteristics of diabetic encephalopathy are discussed, as well as behavioural (e.g. spatial learning) and neurophysiological (e.g. hippocampal synaptic plasticity) findings in animal models. Animal models can make a substantial contribution to our understanding of the pathogenesis, which shares many features with the mechanisms underlying brain ageing. By unravelling the pathogenesis, targets for pharmacotherapy can be identified. This may allow treatment or prevention of this diabetic complication in the future. We discuss changes in glutamate receptor subtypes, in second-messenger systems and in protein kinases that may account for the alterations in synaptic plasticity. In addition, the possible role of cerebrovascular changes, oxidative stress, nonenzymatic protein glycation, insulin and alterations in neuronal calcium homeostasis are addressed.

Aging↗

PubMed2002

N-methyl-D-aspartate-induced long-term depression is associated with a decrease in postsynaptic protein kinase C substrate phosphorylation in rat hippocampal slices.

Incubation of rat hippocampal slices with a low concentration of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA; 20 microM; 3 min) elicits a form of long-term depression (LTD). We used this chemical protocol to study the involvement of pre- and postsynaptic protein kinase/phosphatase activity in NMDA receptor-dependent LTD. We determined the phosphorylation states of a pre- and a postsynaptic protein kinase C substrate, B-50/growth-associated protein 43 (GAP43) and RC3, respectively, using quantitative immunoprecipitation. NMDA incubation resulted in a 2-amino-5-phosphonovalerate-sensitive long-lasting (>60 min) decrease in synaptic efficacy and a concomitant reduction in RC3 phosphorylation. B-50/GAP43 phosphorylation was unaffected. This suggests that NMDA-LTD, in contrast to low frequency-LTD, is only associated with activation of postsynaptic protein phosphatases.

2-Amino-5-phosphonovalerate↗