ABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the dynamic changes of neurofilaments (NFs) proteins in spinal cords of hens with phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride (PMSF) pretreatment for exploring the mechanism of tri-o-cresyl phosphate (TOCP)-induced delayed neuropathy (OPIDN).</p><p><b>METHOD</b>Adult Roman hens were randomly divided into three groups, control, TOCP and PMSF + TOCP. Birds in PMSF + TOCP set were pretreated with PMSF, 24 hours later, hens in both TOCP group and PMSF + TOCP group were administrated with TOCP at a single dosage of 750 mg/kg. Then all animals were sacrificed on the corresponding time-points of 1, 5, 10, and 21 days respectively after dosing of 750 mg/kg TOCP. The spinal cords were dissected, homogenized, and centrifuged at 100,000 x g. The levels of high molecular neurofilament (NF-H), medium molecular neurofilament (NF-M) and low molecular neurofilament (NF-L) in both pellet and supernatant fractions of spinal cords were determined by SDS-PAGE and Western-blotting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The hens in TOCP group showed paralysis gait at the end of 21-day experimental period. The levels of NFs proteins in spinal cords changed obviously. Compared with control, the NFs in pellet showed a dramatic decrease on day 10 and then followed by a recovery. In the supernatant, the NFs proteins showed similar changes, which decreased significantly on day 10 and almost recovered control on day 21. Such as, NF-L, NF-M and NF-H decreased by 51%, 86% and 38% on day 10. The OPIDN signs were not observed in PMSF + TOCP group, and imbalances of NFs were obviously alleviated. Compared with control, only NF-M in pellet increased by 21% (P < 0.05) on day 21, others remained no changes; The levels of NF-H and NF-M in supernatant respectively increased by 19% and 35% on day 21, others were no significant statistical differences.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>TOCP may induce imbalance of NFs levels in progress of OPIDN, and PMSF pretreatment may protect animals from OPIDN by reducing above changes, which may explain that TOCP-induced imbalance of NFs may be connected with the occurrence and development of OPIDN.</p>
Subject(s)
Animals , Female , Chickens , Neurofilament Proteins , Phenylmethylsulfonyl Fluoride , Pharmacology , Protein Subunits , Spinal Cord , Metabolism , Pathology , Tritolyl Phosphates , ToxicityABSTRACT
<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of tacrolimus (FK506) on behavioral function and heat-shock proteins (HSP70) expression in nervous tissues of acrylamide (ACR)-induced rats.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Totally 40 health Wistar rats were randomly divided into control group, model group, low and high doses of FK506 groups. All four groups were treated five times per week for four weeks. Gait score was measured every week. And rats were sacrificed on day 28, the cerebrum, spinal cord and sciatic nerve were dissected, and homogenized in ice bath, then the levels of HSP70 and Bcl-2, Bax were analyzed by western bloting.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Compared with the ACR model group, the gait score in low and high doses of FK506 groups decreased by 30.1% and 47.7% respectively in the 4th week. In the cerebrum and sciatic nerve pellet, the level of HSP70 in the FK506 groups increased by 11.6%, 33.3% and 56.3%, 58.5% (P < 0.01), but no significant changes existed in spinal cord. The level of Bcl-2 in the sciatic nerve pellet increased by 39.1% (P < 0.01) but no significant changes existed in the cerebrum and spinal cord from low dose of FK506 group. And the level of Bax in the spinal cord pellet markedly increased by 46.8% but not in cerebrum and sciatic nerve pellet; Whereas in the tissues mentioned above, the levels of Bcl-2 were enhanced remarkably by 16.3%, 14.8% and 56.0% (P < 0.01) in the high dose of FK506 group. And the level of Bax in the cerebrum and spinal cord pellet markedly increased by 16.4% and 40.2% but not in sciatic nerve. The values of Bcl-2/Bax in low and high doses of FK506 groups clearly increased by 15.9%, 33.3%, 36.9% and 30.1%, 49.1%, 60.1% (P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The administration of FK506 has dramatically neuroprotective effects against the development of ACR neuropathy, which may be related to up-regulating the expression of HSP70 and Bcl-2 with down-regulating the expression of Bax.</p>