Objective Traumatic brain injury (TBI) contributes to morbidity and mortality in children and boys are disproportionately represented. Hypotension is common and worsens outcome after TBI. Extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) is upregulated and reduces CBF after fluid percussion brain injury (FPI) in piglets. We hypothesized that increased CPP via phenylephrine (PHE) sex dependently reduces impairment of cerebral autoregulation during hypotension after FPI through modulation of ERK MAPK. Design Prospective, randomized animal study. Setting University laboratory. Subjects Newborn (1–5 day old) pigs. Interventions CBF, pial artery diameter, ICP and autoregulatory index (ARI) were determined before and after FPI in untreated, pre- and post-injury PHE (1 μg/kg/min iv) treated male and female pigs during normotension and hemorrhagic hypotension. CSF ERK MAPK was determined by ELISA. Measurements and Main Results Reductions in pial artery diameter, CBF, CPP and elevated ICP after FPI were greater in males, which were blunted by PHE pre- or post-FPI. During hypotension and FPI, pial artery dilation was impaired more in males. PHE decreased impairment of hypotensive pial artery dilation after FPI in females, but paradoxically caused vasoconstriction after FPI in males. Papaverine induced pial artery vasodilation was unchanged by FPI and PHE. CBF, CPP, and ARI decreased markedly during hypotension and FPI in males but less in females. PHE prevented reductions in CBF, CPP, and ARI during hypotension in females but increased reductions in males. CSF ERK MAPK was increased more in males than females after FPI. PHE blunted ERK MAPK upregulation in females, but increased ERK MAPK upregulation in males after FPI. Conclusions These data indicate that elevation of CPP with PHE sex dependently prevents impairment of cerebral autoregulation during hypotension after FPI through modulation of ERK MAPK. These data suggest the potential role for sex dependent mechanisms in cerebral autoregulation after pediatric TBI.

Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) adrenomedullin (ADM) levels are increased in female, but remain unchanged in male, piglets after fluid percussion injury (FPI) of the brain. Subthreshold vascular concentrations of ADM restore impaired hypotensive pial artery dilation after FPI more in males than females. Extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is upregulated and contributes to reductions in cerebral blood flow (CBF) after FPI. We hypothesized that ADM prevents sex-dependent impairment of autoregulation during hypotension after FPI through inhibition of ERK MAPK upregulation. FPI increased ERK MAPK more in males than in females. CBF was unchanged during hypotension in sham animals, was reduced more in males than in females after FPI during normotension, and was further reduced in males than in females during hypotension and after FPI. ADM and the ERK MAPK antagonist U 0126 prevented reductions in CBF during hypotension and FPI more in males than in females. Transcranial Doppler (TCD) blood flow velocity was unchanged during hypotension in sham animals, was decreased during hypotension and FPI in male but not in female pigs, and was ameliorated by ADM. Intracranial pressure (ICP) was increased after FPI more in male than in female animals. ADM blunted elevated ICP during FPI and hypotension in males, but not in females. ADM prevented reductions in cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) during FPI and hypotension in males but not in females. The calculated autoregulatory index was unchanged during hypotension in sham animals, but was reduced more in males than females during hypotension and FPI. ADM prevented reductions in autoregulation during hypotension and FPI more in males than females. These data indicate that ADM prevented loss of cerebral autoregulation after FPI in a sex-dependent and ERK MAPK-dependent manner.

Objective NMDA induced pial artery dilation (PAD) is reversed to vasoconstriction after fluid percussion brain injury (FPI). Tissue type plasminogen activator (tPA) is upregulated and the tPA antagonist, EEIIMD, prevents impaired NMDA PAD after FPI. Mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), a family of at least 3 kinases, ERK, p38 and JNK, is also upregulated after TBI. We hypothesize that tPA impairs NMDA induced cerebrovasodilation after FPI in a MAPK isoform dependent mechanism. Methods Lateral FPI was induced in newborn pigs. The closed cranial window technique was used to measure pial artery diameter and to collect CSF. ERK, p38, and JNK MAPK concentrations in CSF were quantified by ELISA. Results CSF JNK MAPK was increased by FPI, increased further by tPA, but blocked by JNK antagonists SP600125 and D-JNKI1. FPI modestly increased p38 and ERK isoforms of MAPK. NMDA induced PAD was reversed to vasoconstriction after FPI, whereas dilator responses to papaverine were unchanged. tPA, in post FPI CSF concentration, potentiated NMDA induced vasoconstriction while papaverine dilation was unchanged. SP 600125 and D-JNKI1, blocked NMDA induced vasoconstriction and fully restored PAD. The ERK antagonist U 0126 partially restored NMDA-induced PAD, while the p38 inhibitor SB203580 aggravated NMDA-induced vasoconstriction observed in the presence of tPA after FPI. Discussion These data indicate that tPA contributes to impairment of NMDA mediated cerebrovasodilation after FPI through JNK, while p38 may be protective. These data suggest that inhibition of the endogenous plasminogen activator system and JNK may improve cerebral hemodynamic outcome post TBI.

Babies experience hypoxia (H) and ischemia (I) from stroke. The only approved treatment for stroke is fibrinolytic therapy with tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA). However, tPA potentiates H/I-induced impairment of responses to cerebrovasodilators such as hypercapnia and hypotension, and blockade of tPA-mediated vasoactivity prevents this deleterious effect. Coupling tPA to RBCs reduces its CNS toxicity through spatially confining the drug to the vasculature. Mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK), a family of at least 3 kinases, is upregulated after H/I. In this study we determined if RBC-tPA given before or after cerebral H/I would preserve responses to cerebrovasodilators and prevent neuronal injury mediated through the ERK MAPK pathway. Animals given RBC-tPA maintained responses to cerebrovasodilators at levels equivalent to pre-H/I values. CSF and brain parenchymal ERK MAPK was elevated by H/I and this upregulation was potentiated by tPA, but blunted by RBC-tPA. U 0126, an ERK MAPK antagonist, also maintained cerebrovasodilation post H/I. Neuronal degeneration in CA1 hippocampus and parietal cortex after H/I was exacerbated by tPA, but ameliorated by RBC-tPA and U 0126. These data suggest that coupling tPA to RBCs may offer a novel approach towards increasing the benefit/risk ratio of thrombolytic therapy for CNS disorders associated with H/I.

Outcome of traumatic brain injury (TBI) is impaired by hyperglycemia, hypotension, and glutamate, and improved by insulin. Insulin reduces glutamate concentration, making it uncertain whether its beneficial effect accrues from euglycemia. Glucagon decreases CNS glutamate, lessens neuronal cell injury, and improves neurological scores in mice after TBI. In vitro, glucagon limits NMDA-mediated excitotoxicity by increasing cAMP and protein kinase A (PKA). NMDA receptor activation couples cerebral blood flow (CBF) to metabolism. Dilation induced by NMDA is impaired after fluid percussion brain injury (FPI) due to upregulation of endogenous tPA, which further disturbs cerebral autoregulation during hypotension after fluid percussion injury (FPI). We hypothesized that glucagon prevents impaired NMDA receptor-mediated dilation after FPI by upregulating cAMP, which decreases release of tPA. NMDA-induced pial artery dilation (PAD) was reversed to vasoconstriction after FPI. Glucagon 30 min before or 30 min after FPI blocked NMDA-mediated vasoconstriction and restored the response to vasodilation. PAD during hypotension was blunted after FPI, but protected by glucagon. Glucagon prevented FPI-induced reductions in CSF cAMP, yielding a net increase in cAMP, and blocked FPI-induced elevation of CSF tPA. Co-administration of the PKA antagonist Rp 8Br cAMPs prevented glucagon-mediated preservation of NMDA-mediated dilation after FPI. The pKA agonist Sp 8Br cAMPs prevented impairment of NMDA-induced dilation. These data indicate that glucagon protects against impaired cerebrovasodilation by upregulating cAMP, which decreases release of tPA, suggesting that it may provide neuroprotection when given after TBI, or prior to certain neurosurgical or cardiac interventions in which the incidence of perioperative ischemia is high.

The sole FDA-approved treatment for acute stroke is recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rtPA). However, rtPA aggravates the impairment of cerebrovasodilation induced by global hypoxia/ischemia; this impairment is attenuated by the preinjury treatment with the plasminogen activator inhibitor derivative EEIIMD. MAPK (a family of kinases, p38, and JNK) is upregulated after cerebral ischemia. In this study, we determined whether the novel plasminogen activator inhibitor-derived peptide, Ac-RMAPEEIIMDRPFLYVVR-amide, (PAI-1-DP) given 30 min before or 2 h after, focal central nervous system injury induced by photothrombosis would preserve responses to cerebrovasodilators and the role of p38 and JNK MAPK in such effects. Cerebrospinal fluid JNK and p38 levels were elevated by photothrombotic injury, an effect potentiated by rtPA. Cerebrovasodilation was blunted by photothrombosis and reversed to vasoconstriction by rtPA but restored to dilation by PAI-1-DP pre- and posttreatment. PAI-1-DP blocked JNK, but preserved p38 MAPK upregulation after photothrombosis. The JNK MAPK antagonist SP600125 prevented, and the p38 antagonist SB203580 potentiated, impaired cerebrovasodilation after photothrombosis. These data indicate that rtPA impairs cerebrovasodilation after injury by activating JNK, while p38 MAPK is protective, and that the novel peptide PAI-1-DP protects by inhibiting activation of JNK by rtPA. JNK MAPK inhibitors, including PAI-1-DP, may offer a novel approach to increase the benefit-to-risk ratio of thrombolytic therapy and enable its use in central nervous system ischemic disorders.

Abbreviations used: BBB, blood-brain barrier; ERK, extracellular signal related kinase; ET, endothelin; FPI, fluid percussion brain injury; ICH, intracerebral hemorrhage; JNK, c-Jun-N-terminal kinase; LRP, low-density receptor-related protein; MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinase; MMP, matrix metalloproteinase; NVU, neurovascular unit; PA, plasminogen activator; PAI-1, PA inhibitor I; RBC, red blood cells; TBI, traumatic brain injury; tPA, tissue-type plasminogen activator; uPA, urokinase plasminogen activator. AbstractStroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. While tissue-type plasminogen activator (tPA) remains the only FDA-approved treatment for ischemic stroke, clinical use of tPA has been constrained to roughly 3% of eligible patients because of the danger of intracranial hemorrhage and a narrow 3 h time window for safe administration. Basic science studies indicate that tPA enhances excitotoxic neuronal cell death. In this review, the beneficial and deleterious effects of tPA in ischemic brain are discussed along with emphasis on development of new approaches toward treatment of patients with acute ischemic stroke. In particular, roles of tPA-induced signaling and a novel delivery system for tPA administration based on tPA coupling to carrier red blood cells will be considered as therapeutic modalities for increasing tPA benefit/ risk ratio. The concept of the neurovascular unit will be discussed in the context of dynamic relationships between tPA-induced changes in cerebral hemodynamics and histopathologic outcome of CNS ischemia. Additionally, the role of age will be considered since thrombolytic therapy is being increasingly used in the pediatric population, but there are few basic science studies of CNS injury in pediatric animals. Keywords: cerebral ischemia, neurovascular unit, pediatric, signaling, stroke, tissue plasminogen activator. BackgroundThe Word Health Organization defines stroke as 'rapidly developing signs of focal or global disturbance of cerebral function, with symptoms lasting 24 h or longer leading to death, with no apparent cause other than that of vascular origin'. Stroke is the third leading cause of morbidity and mortality after heart disease and cancer. Surviving stroke victims often face serious long-term disability and constitute a significant familial and societal economic burden. Stroke can be classified broadly into ischemic or hemorrhagic, with the former comprising 80% of cases. Ischemic stroke, in turn, can be further subclassified as thrombotic or embolic in origin. Thrombotic stroke occurs when a clot forms in an artery located within the brain whereas an embolic stroke results from a clot formed elsewhere in the body that is subsequently transported to the brain. Hemorrhagic stroke results from the disruption of vascular integrity or aneurysm sufficient to cause bleeding within the brain. Generally speaking, three major approaches have been used in the treatment of acute stroke: neuroprotection, thrombolysis, and clot removal. To date, neuroprotection ha...

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) contributes to morbidity in children and boys, and hypotension worsens outcome. Extracellular signal-related kinase (ERK) mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) is upregulated more in males and reduces cerebral blood flow (CBF) after fluid percussion injury (FPI). Increased cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) via phenylephrine (Phe) sex-dependently improves impairment of the cerebral autoregulation seen after FPI through modulation of ERK MAPK upregulation, which is aggravated in males, but is blocked in females. Activation of ATP-and calcium-sensitive (Katp and Kca) channels produces cerebrovasodilation and contributes to autoregulation, both of which are impaired after FPI. Using piglets equipped with a closed cranial window, we hypothesized that potassium channel functional impairment after FPI is prevented by Phe in a sexdependent manner through modulation of ERK MAPK upregulation. The Katp and Kca agonists cromakalim and NS 1619 produced vasodilation that was impaired after FPI more in males than in females. Phe prevented reductions in cerebrovasodilation after cromakalim and NS 1619 in females, but reduced dilation after these potassium channel agonists were given to males after FPI. Co-administration of U 0126, an ERK antagonist, and Phe fully restored dilation to cromakalim, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), and NS 1619, in males after FPI. These data indicate that Phe sex-dependently prevents impairment of Katp and Kca channel-mediated cerebrovasodilation after FPI in females, but aggravates impairment in males, through modulation of ERK MAPK upregulation. Since autoregulation of CBF is dependent on intact functioning of potassium channels, these data suggest a role for sex-dependent mechanisms in the treatment of cerebral autoregulation impairment after pediatric TBI.