Blast Brain Injury Elevates Catecholamine Biosynthesis in the Nucleus Tractus Solitaries and Oxidative Stress in the Hypothalamus in Rats

Introduction: Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) produces major health problems impacting the lives of both military and civilian personnel. TBI disrupts autonomic function but the nature of this disruption is unknown. Following blast brain injury, we assessed selective biochemical markers for autonomic function in adult male Sprague Dawley rats. Methods: Rats were subjected to head-directed overpressure blast injury (OBI) of 358 kPa magnitude at the target. At the same time for sham controls, rats were anesthetized as the previous group but instead of OBI were exposed just to noise being placed at ~ 2 m distance from the shock tube nozzle. Sympathetic nervous system activation of nucleus tractus solitaries and in the hypothalamus was evaluated at 6 hours following blast injury by assessing the expression of catecholamine biosynthesizing enzyme, tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the nucleus tractus solitaries and NADPH oxidase activity, a marker of oxidative stress,in the hypothalamus. Results: Following OBI there was a significant elevation in TH protein expression by 49% compared with control (P\u3c0.05). In addition, NADPH oxidase activity was significantly increased by 36% following OBI (P\u3c0.05). Conclusions: Collectively, the increased catecholamine biosynthesis in nucleus tractus solitaries and oxidative stress in the hypotalamus suggest that OBI results in increased sympathoexcitation in the rat brain. Such effects may be one important factor contributing to autonomic dysfunction following OBI. Acknowledgements: Supported by Department of Veteran Affairs; Rehabilitation R&D, GRECC, Medical Research Services, Banyan Biomarkers Inc, University of Florida Brain Institute, NIA, and AH

Resveratrol treatment reverses age-related vascular dysfunction in mesenteric arteries

Experimental Biology Meeting 2011 -- APR 09-13, 2011 -- Washington, DC[No Abstract Available]Amer Assoc Anatomists (AAA), Amer Physiolog Soc (APS), Amer Soc Biochem & Mol Biol (ASBMB), Amer Soc Investigat Pathol (ASIP), Amer Soc Nutrit (ASN), Amer Soc Pharmacol & Expt Therapeut (ASPET

Adrenomedullin reduces antioxidant defense system and enhances kidney tissue damage in cadmium and lead exposed rats

WOS: 000265967200008PubMed: 18655190Adrenomedullin (AdM) is synthesized and secreted by a number of cells and tissue. AdM is a potent vasodilator but it is also considered a neuromodulator, an angiogenic factor, and a hormone regulator. AdM possess antiapoptotic, antioxidant, and antimicrobial properties. Heavy metals such as cadmium and lead are found widely in the environment and they have important biological functions. Lead (Pb) and cadmium (Cd) can accumulate in the lungs, liver, bone, and kidneys and cause serious organ damage. In the present study, we investigated the effect of AdM, Pb + AdM, and Cd + AdM treatments on superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), and glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) activities as well as the level of malondialdehyde (MDA) in the kidney. Heavy metal accumulation was determined in kidney with and without AdM infusion and kidney damage was evaluated by light and electron microscopy. Increased heavy metal accumulation was observed in the heavy metal and AdM treated groups. SOD, CAT, GSH-Px activities, and MDA levels were significantly different in the treatment groups when compared with the control group. Tubular degeneration, necrosis, cell swelling, mononuclear cell infiltration, and degenerated organelles were observed in the kidney following treatment. Therefore, AdM infusion has no beneficial and/or compensatory role in cadmium and lead toxicity in the kidney. We conclude that heavy metal accumulation in the kidney in conjunction with AdM infusion is cytotoxic despite the known beneficial effects of adrenomedullin. (C) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 24: 279-286, 2009

Effects of resveratrol on age-related changes in adrenomedullary catecholamine biosynthesis

Experimental Biology Meeting 2011 -- APR 09-13, 2011 -- Washington, DC[No Abstract Available]Amer Assoc Anatomists (AAA), Amer Physiolog Soc (APS), Amer Soc Biochem & Mol Biol (ASBMB), Amer Soc Investigat Pathol (ASIP), Amer Soc Nutrit (ASN), Amer Soc Pharmacol & Expt Therapeut (ASPET

Resveratrol Reverses Increased Hypothalamic Nadph Oxidase Activity and Vascular Dysfunction with Age

[No Abstract Available