Peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factor is related to cardiovascular risk factors in active and inactive elderly men

Regular exercise plays an important preventive and therapeutic role in heart and vascular diseases, and beneficially affects brain function. In blood, the effects of exercise appear to be very complex and could include protection of vascular endothelial cells via neurotrophic factors and decreased oxidative stress. The purpose of this study was to identify the age-related changes in peripheral brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its relationship to oxidative damage and conventional cardiovascular disease (CVD) biomarkers, such as atherogenic index, C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and oxidized LDL (oxLDL), in active and inactive men. Seventeen elderly males (61-80 years) and 17 young males (20-24 years) participated in this study. According to the 6-min Åstrand-Rhyming bike test, the subjects were classified into active and inactive groups. The young and elderly active men had a significantly better lipoprotein profile and antioxidant status, as well as reduced oxidative damage and inflammatory state. The active young and elderly men had significantly higher plasma BDNF levels compared to their inactive peers. BDNF was correlated with VO2max (r=0.765, P<0.001). In addition, we observed a significant inverse correlation of BDNF with atherogenic index (TC/HDL), hsCRP and oxLDL. The findings demonstrate that a high level of cardiorespiratory fitness reflected in VO2max was associated with a higher level of circulating BDNF, which in turn was related to common CVD risk factors and oxidative damage markers in young and elderly men.

Correlations of recognition memory performance with expression and methylation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor in rats

Object recognition memory allows discrimination between novel and familiar objects. This kind of memory consists of two components: recollection, which depends on the hippocampus, and familiarity, which depends on the perirhinal cortex (Pcx). The importance of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) for recognition memory has already been recognized. Recent evidence suggests that DNA methylation regulates the expression of BDNF and memory. Behavioral and molecular approaches were used to understand the potential contribution of DNA methylation to recognition memory. To that end, rats were tested for their ability to distinguish novel from familiar objects by using a spontaneous object recognition task. Furthermore, the level of DNA methylation was estimated after trials with a methyl-sensitive PCR. We found a signifcant correlation between performance on the novel object task and the expression of BDNF, negatively in hippocampal slices and positively in perirhinal cortical slices. By contrast, methylation of DNA in CpG island 1 in the promoter of exon 1 in BDNF only correlated in hippocampal slices, but not in the Pxc cortical slices from trained animals. These results suggest that DNA methylation may be involved in the regulation of the BDNF gene during recognition memory, at least in the hippocampus.

Neuroprotección mediada por BDNF y óxido nítrico frente a excitotoxicidad en neuronas corticales e hipocampales / BDNF and nitric oxide-mediated neuroprotection against excitotoxicity in cortical and hippocampal neurons

En la epilepsia del lóbulo temporal (ELT), el hipocampo y estructuras temporales adyacentes se convierten en foco epiléptico, lo que ocurre después de un insulto cerebral, como una convulsión prolongada (o Status Epilepticus [SE]). Posterior al insulto, en el hipocampo ocurre muerte neuronal por excitotoxicidad, es decir, por sobre estimulación de receptores glutamatérgicos tipo NMDA (R-NMDA) y síntesis de óxido nítrico (NO) por la óxido nítrico sintasa neuronal (nNOS), una enzima dependiente de calcio. Sin embargo, otras estructuras cerebrales, como la corteza cerebral, son más resistentes al daño excitotóxico. Postulamos que esta menor susceptibilidad de la corteza cerebral a la excitotoxicidad, se debería a neuroprotección dependiente de la neurotrofina BDNF, que se sabe estimula la sobrevida neuronal. Se utilizaron cultivos neuronales primarios de hipocampo y corteza cerebral. Para evaluar excitotoxicidad, se agregó NMDA 30 uM. Se utilizaron estrategias farmacológicas para poner a prueba esta hipótesis, como el uso de L-NNA (inhibidor NOS), y TrkB-Fc (atrapador de BDNF). Se evaluó el porcentaje de sobrevida celular mediante el test de exclusión de Azul de Tripán. La viabilidad de los cultivos después de agregar NMDA fueron: corticales 71,2 +/- 2,8 por ciento, hipocampales 24,6 +/- 2,2 por ciento (p<0,01). Al inhibir la NOS, la viabilidad fue: corticales 31 +/- 6,5 por ciento, hipocampales 79,2 +/- 5,4 por ciento (p<0,01). En ausencia de BDNF fue: corticales 28,7+/- 7,9 por ciento, hipocampales 88,9 +/- 3 por ciento (p<0,01). Concluimos que después de un insulto excitotóxico, BDNF/NO son neuroprotectores en neuronas corticales pero no hipocampales. La potenciación de mecanismos neuroprotectores podría ser una alternativa terapéutica en patologías que involucran muerte neuronal por excitotoxicidad.

In temporal-lobe epilepsy (TLE), the hippocampus and adjacent temporal structures become an epileptic focus following a brain insult, such as a prolonged seizure (or Status Epilepticus). After the insult, neuronal death by excitotoxicity ocurrs, this is, by over stimulation of NMDA-type glutamate receptors (R-NMDA) and nitric oxide sinthesis by neuronal nitric oxide synthase (nNOS), a calcium-dependant enzyme. However, other brain structures, such as the cerebral cortex, are much more resistant to an excitotoxic challenge. We propose that the decreased susceptibility of the cerebral cortex could be explained by neuroprotection mediated by the neurotrophin BDNF, which is known to stimulate neuronal survival. Primary hippocampal and cortical neuronalcultures were used. To evaluate excitotoxicity, 30 uM NMDA was added. The signaling pathways to be tested were inhibited by using pharmacological inhibitors: L-NNA (NOS inhibitor), and TrkB-Fc, a BDN-scavenger. Percentages of cellular survival were evaluated using the Trypan Blue exclusion test. The viability of the cultures after adding NMDA was: larger in cortical than in hippocampal cultures, 71,2 +/- 2,8 percent for cortical and 24,6 +/- 2,2 percent hippocampal cells (p<0,01). When inhibiting NOS, the viability was: 31 +/- 6,5 percent for cortical and 79,2 +/- 5,4 percent for hippocampal cells (p<0,01). In absence of BDNF, 28,7 +/- 7,9 percent of the cortical cells survived, while in the hippocampal cultures it was of 88,9 +/- 3 percent (p<0,01). We conclude that after an excitotoxic insult, BDNF/NO are neuroprotective in cortical but not hippocampal neurons. The potentiation of such neuroprotective mecanisms could be used as a therapeutic alternative in pathologies that involve neuronal death by excitotoxicity.

Death in dish: controls of apoptosis within the developing retinal tissue

Studies of programmed cell death in the developing retina in vitro are currently reviewed. The results of inhibiting protein synthesis in retinal explants indicate two mechanisms of apoptosis. One mechanism depends on the synthesis of positive modulators ('killer proteins'), while a distinct, latent mechanism appears to be continuously blocked by negative modulators. Extracellular modulators of apoptosis include the neurotrophic factors NT-4 and BDNF, while glutamate may have either a positive or a negative modulatory action on apoptosis. Several protein kinases selectively modulate apoptosis in distinct retinal layers. Calcium and nitric oxide were also shown to affect apoptosis in the developing retianl tissue. The protein c-Jun was found associated with apoptosis in various circumstances, while p53 seems to be selectively expressed in some instances of apoptosis. The results indicate that the sensitivity of each retinal cell to apoptosis is controlled by multiple, interactive, cell type- and context-specific mechanisms. Apoptosis in the retina depends on a critical interplay of extracellular signals delivered through neurotrophic factors, neurotransmitters and neuromodulators, several signal transduction pathways, and the expression of a variety of genes.