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Costantino Iadecola

Publications and source records attributed to Costantino Iadecola.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Evidence that estrogen directly and indirectly modulates C1 adrenergic bulbospinal neurons in the rostral ventrolateral medulla.

Blood pressure in women increases after menopause, and sympathetic tone in female rats decreases with estrogen injections in the rostral ventrolateral medulla (RVLM) region that contains bulbospinal C1 adrenergic neurons and is involved in blood pressure control. We investigated the anatomical and physiological basis for estrogen effects in the RVLM. Neurons with alpha- or beta-subtypes of estrogen receptor (ER) immunoreactivity (-ir) overlapped in distribution with tyrosine hydroxylase (TH)-containing C1 neurons. Immunoelectron microscopy revealed that ERalpha- and ERbeta-ir had distinct cellular and subcellular distributions. ERalpha-ir was most commonly in TH-lacking profiles, many of which were axons and peptide-containing afferents that contacted TH-containing dendrites. ERalpha-ir was also in some TH-containing dendrites. ERbeta-ir was most frequently in TH-containing somata and dendrites, particularly on endoplasmic reticula, mitochondria, and plasma membranes. In whole-cell patch clamp recordings from isolated bulbospinal RVLM neurons, 17beta-estradiol dose-dependently reduced voltage-gated Ca(++) currents, especially the long-lasting (L-type) component. This inhibition was reversed by washing or prevented by adding the non-subtype-selective ER antagonist ICI182780. An ERbeta-selective agonist, but not an ERalpha-selective agonist, reproduced the Ca(++) current inhibition. The data indicate that estrogens can modulate the function of RVLM C1 bulbospinal neurons either directly, through extranuclear ERbeta, or indirectly through extranuclear ERalpha in selected afferents. Moreover, Ca(++) current inhibition may underlie the decrease in sympathetic tone evoked by local 17beta-estradiol application. These findings provide a structural and functional basis for the effects of estrogens on blood pressure control and suggest a mechanism for the modulation of cardiovascular function by estrogen in women.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Recommendations of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute working group on cerebrovascular biology and disease.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) convened a conference call working group, consisting of experts in stroke and cerebrovascular biology on January 28, 2005. The purpose of this working group was to develop a prioritized set of recommendations for NHLBI to establish a focused and comprehensive set of research activities in cerebrovascular biology and disease. Three thematic areas of research emerged: (1) molecular and cellular neurobiology of cerebral blood vessels, focusing on genomics and proteomics, neurovascular signaling and cerebrovascular embryogenesis, development and plasticity; (2) resource development, involving the development of new methodological approaches for normal and altered function of the neurovascular unit, collaborative research, and training in cerebrovascular pathobiology; and (3) cerebrovascular diseases and translational approaches, addressing vascular mechanisms of disease, the role of risk factors, importance of biomarkers with the ultimate goal of developing new treatments.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Angiotensin II attenuates endothelium-dependent responses in the cerebral microcirculation through nox-2-derived radicals.

OBJECTIVE: Angiotensin II (Ang II) exerts deleterious effect on the cerebral circulation through production of reactive oxygen species (ROS). However, the enzymatic source of the ROS has not been defined. We tested the hypothesis that Ang II impairs endothelium-dependent responses in the cerebral microcirculation through ROS generated in cerebrovascular cells by the enzyme NADPH oxidase. METHODS AND RESULTS: Cerebral blood flow (CBF) was monitored by laser Doppler flowmetry in anesthetized mice equipped with a cranial window. Ang II (0.25+/-0.02 microg/kg per minute for 30 to 45 minutes) attenuated the CBF increase produced by the endothelium-dependent vasodilators acetylcholine (-42+/-5%; P<0.05), bradykinin (-53+/-5%; P<0.05), and A23187 (-43+/-4%; P<0.05), and induced cerebrovascular ROS production, assessed by hydroethidine fluoromicrography. These actions of Ang II were prevented by losartan, by the ROS scavenger Mn(III) tetrakis (4-benzoic acid) porphyrin chloride (100 micromol/L), or by the NADPH oxidase peptide inhibitor gp91ds-tat (1 micromol/L), and were not observed in mice lacking the NADPH oxidase subunit gp91phox (nox-2). CONCLUSIONS: Ang II impairs the endothelial regulation of the cerebral microcirculation through AT1 receptor-mediated cerebrovascular oxidative stress. The source of the ROS is a nox-2-containing NADPH oxidase. These effects of Ang II could threaten the cerebral blood supply and contribute to the increased susceptibility to stroke and dementia associated with hypertension.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed2006

Prostaglandin E2 EP1 receptors: downstream effectors of COX-2 neurotoxicity.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), a rate-limiting enzyme for prostanoid synthesis, has been implicated in the neurotoxicity resulting from hypoxia-ischemia, and its inhibition has therapeutic potential for ischemic stroke. However, COX-2 inhibitors increase the risk of cardiovascular complications. We therefore sought to identify the downstream effectors of COX-2 neurotoxicity, and found that prostaglandin E(2) EP1 receptors are essential for the neurotoxicity mediated by COX-2-derived prostaglandin E(2). EP1 receptors disrupt Ca(2+) homeostasis by impairing Na(+)-Ca(2+) exchange, a key mechanism by which neurons cope with excess Ca(2+) accumulation after an excitotoxic insult. Thus, EP1 receptors contribute to neurotoxicity by augmenting the Ca(2+) dysregulation underlying excitotoxic neuronal death. Pharmacological inhibition or gene inactivation of EP1 receptors ameliorates brain injury induced by excitotoxicity, oxygen glucose deprivation and middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion. An EP1 receptor inhibitor reduces brain injury when administered 6 hours after MCA occlusion, suggesting that EP1 receptor inhibition may be a viable therapeutic option in ischemic stroke.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

NF-kappaB regulates phagocytic NADPH oxidase by inducing the expression of gp91phox.

The superoxide-generating phagocytic NADPH oxidase is an important component of the innate immune response against microbial agents, and is involved in shaping the cellular response to a variety of physiological and pathological signals. One of the downstream targets of NADPH oxidase-derived radicals is the ubiquitous transcription factor NF-kappaB, which controls the expression of a large array of genes involved in immune function and cell survival. Here we show that NF-kappaB itself is a key factor in controlling NADPH oxidase expression and function. In monocytic and microglial cell lines, the expression of the NADPH oxidase subunit gp91(phox) was induced by lipopolysaccharide/interferon gamma treatment and was inhibited in cells constitutively expressing IkappaBalpha. Furthermore, inducible reactive oxygen species production was inhibited in IkappaBalpha overexpressing cells. gp91(phox) expression was very low in RelA(-/-) fibroblasts and could be induced by reconstituting these cells with p65/RelA. Thus, gp91(phox) expression is dependent on the presence of p65/RelA. We also found that gp91(phox) transcription is dependent on NF-kappaB and we identified two potential cis-acting elements in the murine gp91(phox) promoter that control NF-kappaB-dependent regulation. The findings raise the possibility of a positive feedback loop in which NF-kappaB activation by oxidative stress leads to further radical production via NADPH oxidase.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Inducible nitric oxide synthase contributes to gender differences in ischemic brain injury.

Estrogens have antiinflammatory actions and protect the brain from ischemic injury. Cerebral ischemia is accompanied by an inflammatory reaction that contributes to the tissue damage, an effect mediated in part by toxic amounts of nitric oxide (NO) produced by the inducible isoform of NO synthase (iNOS). Therefore, estrogens may protect the female brain by modulating postischemic iNOS expression. To test this hypothesis, we studied whether iNOS plays a role in the mechanisms of the reduced susceptibility to ischemic injury observed in female mice. The middle cerebral artery was occluded for 20 mins using an intraluminal filament in C57Bl/6 mice, and infarct volume was assessed 3 days later in cresyl violet-stained sections. Infarcts were 53% smaller in female mice than in males (P < 0.05), a reduction abolished by ovariectomy (OVX) and reinstated by estrogen replacement. In normal female mice, postischemic iNOS mRNA was lower than in males (P < 0.05). Ovariectomy increased iNOS mRNA after ischemia and estrogen replacement blocked this effect. Furthermore, the iNOS inhibitor aminoguanidine reduced infarct volume in male, but not in female, mice. Similarly, male iNOS-null mice had smaller infarcts than wild-type mice, but female iNOS nulls were not protected. Ovariectomy and OVX with estrogen replacement did not affect infarct volume in iNOS-null female mice. The findings suggest that the neuroprotection conferred by estrogens is, in part, related to attenuation of iNOS expression. Such attenuation could result from the potent antiinflammatory effects of estrogens that downregulate iNOS expression via transcriptional or posttranscriptional mechanisms.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

Neurovascular coupling in the normal brain and in hypertension, stroke, and Alzheimer disease.

The brain is critically dependent on a continuous supply of blood to function. Therefore, the cerebral vasculature is endowed with neurovascular control mechanisms that assure that the blood supply of the brain is commensurate to the energy needs of its cellular constituents. The regulation of cerebral blood flow (CBF) during brain activity involves the coordinated interaction of neurons, glia, and vascular cells. Thus, whereas neurons and glia generate the signals initiating the vasodilation, endothelial cells, pericytes, and smooth muscle cells act in concert to transduce these signals into carefully orchestrated vascular changes that lead to CBF increases focused to the activated area and temporally linked to the period of activation. Neurovascular coupling is disrupted in pathological conditions, such as hypertension, Alzheimer disease, and ischemic stroke. Consequently, CBF is no longer matched to the metabolic requirements of the tissue. This cerebrovascular dysregulation is mediated in large part by the deleterious action of reactive oxygen species on cerebral blood vessels. A major source of cerebral vascular radicals in models of hypertension and Alzheimer disease is the enzyme NADPH oxidase. These findings, collectively, highlight the importance of neurovascular coupling to the health of the normal brain and suggest a therapeutic target for improving brain function in pathologies associated with cerebrovascular dysfunction.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed2005

The class B scavenger receptor CD36 mediates free radical production and tissue injury in cerebral ischemia.

The class B scavenger receptor CD36 is involved in the cytotoxicity associated with inflammation, but its role in the inflammatory reaction that accompanies cerebral ischemia has not been examined. In this study, we investigated whether CD36 contributes to the brain damage produced by cerebral ischemia. The middle cerebral artery was transiently occluded in wild-type mice and in mice deficient in CD36. In wild-type mice, CD36 protein expression was increased in the ischemic brain, such that it was located predominantly in cells expressing the microglia/macrophage marker CD11b. The infarct produced by middle cerebral artery occlusion was 49% smaller in CD36-null mice than in wild-type controls, an effect associated with improved neurological function. The attenuation in brain injury in CD36 nulls could not be attributed to differences in cerebral blood flow during ischemia-reperfusion. However, the increase in reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced by cerebral ischemia was markedly attenuated in CD36-null mice in the early stage after reperfusion. The data unveil a previously unrecognized role of CD36 in ischemia-induced ROS production and brain injury. Modulation of CD36 signaling may provide a new strategy for the treatment of ischemic stroke.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

NADPH-oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species mediate the cerebrovascular dysfunction induced by the amyloid beta peptide.

Overproduction of the amyloid beta (Abeta) peptide is a key factor in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD), but the mechanisms of its pathogenic effects have not been defined. Patients with AD have cerebrovascular alterations attributable to the deleterious effects of Abeta on cerebral blood vessels. We report here that NADPH oxidase, the major source of free radicals in blood vessels, is responsible for the cerebrovascular dysregulation induced by Abeta. Thus, the free-radical production and the associated alterations in vasoregulation induced by Abeta are abrogated by the NADPH oxidase peptide inhibitor gp91ds-tat and are not observed in mice lacking the catalytic subunit of NADPH oxidase (gp91phox). Furthermore, oxidative stress and cerebrovascular dysfunction do not occur in transgenic mice overexpressing the amyloid precursor protein but lacking gp91phox. The mechanisms by which NADPH oxidase-derived radicals mediate the cerebrovascular dysfunction involve reduced bioavailability of nitric oxide. Thus, a gp91phox-containing NADPH oxidase is the critical link between Abeta and cerebrovascular dysfunction, which may underlie the alteration in cerebral blood flow regulation observed in AD patients.

Acetylcholine↗
PubMed2005

Nitric oxide inhibits caspase activation and apoptotic morphology but does not rescue neuronal death.

Nitric oxide (NO) has been shown to inhibit apoptotic cell death by S-nitrosylation of the catalytic-site cysteine residue of caspases. However, it is not clear whether in neurons NO-mediated caspase inactivation leads to improved cell survival. To address this issue, we studied the effect of NO donors on caspase activity and cell survival in cortical neuronal culture treated with the apoptosis inducer staurosporine (STS) and camptothecin. In parallel, cell viability was assessed by the MTS assay and MAP2 staining. We found that NO donors ((+/-)-S-nitroso-N-acetylpenicillamine, S-nitrosoglutathione, and NONOates) dose-dependently inhibited caspase-3 and -9 activity induced by STS and camptothecin. The reduction in caspase-3 activity was, in large part, because of the blockage of the proteolytic conversion of pro-caspase-3 to active caspase-3. NO donors also inhibited the appearance of the classical apoptotic nuclear morphology. However, inhibition of both caspase activity and apoptotic morphology was not associated with enhancement of cell viability. Thus, inhibition of caspase and apoptotic morphology by NO donors does not improve neuronal survival. The data suggest that inhibition of caspase by NO unmasks a caspase-independent form of cell death. A better understanding of this form of cell death may provide new strategies for neuroprotection in neuropathologies, such as ischemic brain injury, associated with apoptosis.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Obligatory role of inducible nitric oxide synthase in ischemic preconditioning.

Sublethal insults can induce a transient tolerance toward subsequent lethal ischemia, a phenomenon termed ischemic preconditioning (IPC). In the myocardium, nitric oxide derived from 'inducible' nitric oxide synthase (iNOS or NOS II) plays a critical role in the expression of IPC produced by sublethal ischemia. Here, we investigated whether iNOS is involved in IPC in brain. Ischemic preconditioning was produced in mice by three episodes of 1-min bilateral common carotid artery (BCCA) occlusion, each followed by 5 mins of reperfusion. After 24 h, mice underwent middle cerebral artery (MCA) occlusion for 20 mins. Intraischemic cerebral blood flow was monitored during both in BCCA and MCA occlusion (MCAO) by laser-Doppler flowmetry. Mice were killed 3 days after MCAO, and infarct volume was determined in thionine-stained sections. Infarct volume was significantly reduced 24 h after IPC (70%; P<0.05). Treatment with the iNOS inhibitor aminoguanidine (400 mg/kg), abolished the IPC-induced protection. Furthermore, IPC failed to induce ischemic tolerance in iNOS-null mice. In wild-type mice, IPC increased the resistance to Ca(2+)-mediated depolarization in isolated brain mitochondria. However, in iNOS-null mice IPC failed to induce such resistance. We conclude that iNOS is required for the full expression of IPC and that such effect is coupled to an increased resistance of mitochondria to injury. Thus, iNOS-derived nitric oxide, in addition to its deleterious effects on the late stages of ischemic brain damage, can also be beneficial by promoting ischemic tolerance through signaling, ultimately resulting in mitochondrial protection.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Mitochondria are involved in the neurogenic neuroprotection conferred by stimulation of cerebellar fastigial nucleus.

Activation of neural pathways originating in the cerebellar fastigial nucleus (FN) protects the brain from the deleterious effects of cerebral ischemia and excitotoxicity, a phenomenon termed central neurogenic neuroprotection. The neuroprotection is, in part, mediated by suppression of apoptosis. We sought to determine whether FN stimulation exerts its anti-apoptotic effect through mitochondrial mechanisms. Mitochondria were isolated from the cerebral cortex of rats in which the FN was stimulated for 1 h (100 microA; 1 s on/1 s off), 72 h earlier. Stimulation of the dentate nucleus (DN), a brain region that does not confer neuroprotection, served as control. Mitochondria isolated from FN-stimulated rats exhibited a marked increase in their ability to sequester Ca2+ and an increased resistance to Ca2+-induced membrane depolarization and depression in respiration. FN stimulation also leads to reduction in the release in cytochrome c, induced either by Ca2+ or the mitochondrial toxin mastoparan. Furthermore, in brain slices, FN stimulation reduced the staurosporine-induced insertion of the pro-apoptotic protein Bax into the mitochondria, a critical step in the mitochondrial mechanisms of apoptosis. Collectively, these results provide evidence that FN stimulation protects the mitochondria from dysfunction induced by Ca2+ loading, and inhibits mitochondrial pathways initiating apoptosis. These mitochondrial mechanisms are likely to play a role in the neuroprotection exerted by FN stimulation.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Synaptic and vascular associations of neurons containing cyclooxygenase-2 and nitric oxide synthase in rat somatosensory cortex.

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a rate-limiting enzyme for prostanoid synthesis that is present in cortical pyramidal neurons and highly implicated in control of cerebral blood flow during neural activity. We examined the electron microscopic localization of COX-2 and neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), a functionally related enzyme, in the somatosensory cortex of rat brain to determine the relevant functional sites. COX-2 immunoreactivity was detected in significantly more somatodendritic than axonal profiles, while nNOS was more often seen in axon terminals. The dendritic COX-2 was localized to endomembranes near synaptic inputs from axon terminals, some of which contained nNOS. Conversely, COX-2 terminals formed asymmetric, excitatory-type synapses with dendrites containing nNOS. The dendritic and axonal profiles containing COX-2 as well as those containing nNOS were minimally separated from penetrating arterioles and capillaries by filamentous glial processes. The perivascular COX-2 labeled terminals were among those that also formed axo-dendritic synapses, suggesting that the release of prostanoids and/or excitatory transmitters from a single terminal may simultaneously affect neuronal activity and cerebral blood flow. Thus, COX-2 has a compartmental distribution in somatosensory cortical neurons consistent with the local neuronal synthesis of prostanoids that are involved in neurovascular coupling and whose actions are modulated by nitric oxide.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

cis-acting, element-specific transcriptional activity of differentially phosphorylated nuclear factor-kappa B.

Phosphorylation of nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B) subunits emerges as a mechanism by which transcriptional activity of nuclear NF-kappa B complexes is regulated in an inhibitor kappa B-independent fashion. As the main transactivator, the p65 subunit of NF-kappa B has an outstanding position in the hierarchy of NF-kappa B proteins. p65 is a multiply phosphorylated protein with phosphorylation sites in the C-terminal transactivation domain and the N-terminal Rel homology domain (RHD). In this study, we describe two previously non-reported phospho-acceptor sites within the p65 RHD. We show that differential phosphorylation of serine residues within the RHD modulates transcriptional activity in a cis-acting element and promoter-specific context, thus leading to a phosphorylation state-dependent gene expression profile. RelA(-/-) mouse embryonic fibroblasts reconstituted with wild-type p65 or p65 phosphorylation-deficient mutants showed a distinctive expression profile of synthetic kappa B-dependent reporters as well as endogenous genes. Hypophosphorylated p65 did not display cis-acting element-specific changes in DNA binding or dimerization behavior. This study shows for the first time that site-specific phosphorylation can target a transcription factor to a particular subset of genes.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed2004

Interaction between inducible nitric oxide synthase and poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase in focal ischemic brain injury.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Overactivation of the DNA repair enzyme poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) contributes to ischemic brain injury. Because PARP upregulates proinflammatory genes, we investigated whether inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), a gene involved in the deleterious effects of postischemic inflammation, participates in the mechanisms by which PARP activation contributes to cerebral ischemic injury. METHODS: The middle cerebral artery (MCA) was occluded in mice for 20 minutes using an intravascular filament, and injury volume was measured 72 hours later in Nissl-stained brain sections. mRNA expression was assessed in the postischemic brain by the quantitative "real-time" polymerase chain reaction. RESULTS: The PARP inhibitor PJ34 reduced infarct volume and attenuated postischemic iNOS mRNA upregulation by 72%. To determine whether iNOS contributes to the toxicity of PARP, the iNOS inhibitor aminoguanidine was co-administered with PARP inhibitors. Unexpectedly, co-administration of PARP and iNOS inhibitors, or treatment of iNOS-null mice with PARP inhibitors, abrogated the protective effect afforded by iNOS or PARP inhibition alone. The loss of neuroprotection was associated with upregulation of the inflammatory genes iNOS, intercellular adhesion molecule-1, and gp91(phox). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that iNOS expression contributes to the deleterious effects exerted by PARP activation in cerebral ischemia. However, iNOS activity is required for the protective effect of PARP inhibition and, conversely, PARP activity must be present for iNOS inhibition to be effective. The findings unveil a previously unrecognized deleterious interaction between iNOS and PARP that is relevant to the development of combination therapies for ischemic stroke.

Animals↗
PubMed2004

Angiotensin II impairs neurovascular coupling in neocortex through NADPH oxidase-derived radicals.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) exerts detrimental effects on cerebral circulation, the mechanisms of which have not been elucidated. In particular, Ang II impairs the increase in cerebral blood flow (CBF) produced by neural activity, a critical mechanism that matches substrate delivery with energy demands in brain. We investigated whether Ang II exerts its deleterious actions by activating Ang II type 1 (AT1) receptors on cerebral blood vessels and producing reactive oxygen species (ROS) through NADPH oxidase. Somatosensory cortex CBF was monitored in anesthetized mice by laser-Doppler flowmetry. Ang II (0.25 microg/kg per minute IV) attenuated the CBF increase produced by mechanical stimulation of the vibrissae. The effect was blocked by the AT1 antagonist losartan and by ROS scavenger superoxide dismutase or tiron and was not observed in mice lacking the gp91phox subunit of NADPH oxidase or in wild-type mice treated with the NADPH oxidase peptide inhibitor gp91ds-tat. Ang II increased ROS production in cerebral microvessels, an effect blocked by the ROS scavenger Mn(III)tetrakis (4-benzoic acid) porphyrin and by the NADPH oxidase assembly inhibitor apocynin. Ang II did not increase ROS production in gp91-null mice. Double-label immunoelectron microscopy demonstrated that AT1 and gp91phox immunoreactivities were present in endothelium and adventitia of neocortical arterioles. Collectively, these findings suggest that Ang II impairs functional hyperemia by activating AT1 receptors and inducing ROS production via a gp91phox containing NADPH oxidase. The data provide the mechanistic basis for the cerebrovascular dysregulation induced by Ang II and suggest novel therapeutic strategies to counteract the effects of hypertension on the brain.

1,2-Dihydroxybenzene-3,5-Disulfonic Acid Disodium ↗