The detrimental effect of severe hypoxia (SH) on neurons can be mitigated by hypoxic preconditioning (HPC), but the molecular mechanisms involved remain unclear, and an understanding of these may provide novel solutions for hypoxic/ischemic disorders (e.g. stroke). Here, we show that the ␦-opioid receptor (DOR), an oxygen-sensitive membrane protein, mediates the HPC protection through specific signaling pathways. Although SH caused a decrease in DOR expression and neuronal injury, HPC induced an increase in DOR mRNA and protein levels and reversed the reduction in levels of the endogenous DOR peptide, leucine enkephalin, normally seen during SH, thus protecting the neurons from SH insult. The HPC-induced protection could be blocked by DOR antagonists. The DOR-mediated HPC protection depended on an increase in ERK and Bcl 2 activity, which counteracted the SH-induced increase in p38 MAPK activities and cytochrome c release. The cross-talk between ERK and p38 MAPKs displays a "yinyang" antagonism under the control of the DOR-G protein-protein kinase C pathway. Our findings demonstrate a novel mechanism of HPC neuroprotection (i.e. the intracellular up-regulation of DOR-regulated survival signals).Neuronal death as a result of neuronal injury following hypoxic/ischemic insults, such as stroke, is an irreversible process that leads to long term neurological deficit. The prevention of neuronal injury is therefore critical in rescuing the brain from neurological disaster. However, clinical strategies that may help mitigate the effects of hypoxic/ischemic injury are still very limited.One strategy that has been shown to provide effective protection from harmful stress is known as preconditioning. This involves transient, but sublethal, exposure to a stress, resulting in enhanced cellular resistance to subsequent severe stress. It was initially demonstrated in the heart (1) and subsequently found to work in other organ beds (2). The effects of preconditioning have been widely studied in the whole brain (3, 4), as well as in vitro in brain slices (5, 6) and neuronal cultures (7-9). Most studies to date have shown the beneficial effects of preconditioning on rescuing neurons from cell injury in response to subsequent severe insults. Hypoxic preconditioning (HPC), 1 for example, caused by lowering the oxygen content or by combined oxygen and glucose deprivation, protects against subsequent hypoxic injury (4,7,8,10). However, a recent study failed to show neuronal protection with HPC treatment (11), suggesting that the neuronal response to preconditioning may vary depending on neuronal situation and involve complex mechanisms. These molecular mechanisms remain unclear, especially with regard to intracellular signal transduction. In this study, we demonstrated that, in neurons in culture, HPCinduced neuroprotection is dependent on specific factors and that the effect is mediated by intracellular up-regulation of ␦-opioid receptor (DOR)-regulated survival signals, which suppress the increased activity of intracellular death s...

The possible mechanism that causes free radical elevation in the kidney may be different in the course of nephrolithiasis after ethylene glycol treatment. Initially the systemic circulation may bring the toxic substance into the kidney and cause it to produce free radicals. In the late stage gradually infiltrating leukocytes and decreased antioxidant enzyme activities may cause the kidney to remain under excessive oxidative stress.

Abstract. Renal sensory responses and reflex function were examined in rats 24 h after 45 min of ischemic injury caused by unilateral renal arterial occlusion (RAO). The integrity of renal pelvic mechanoreceptor (MRu)-mediated renorenal reflex was examined. An increase in ipsilateral afferent renal nerve activity (ARNA) and a reflex decrease in efferent renal nerve activity (ERNA) and contralateral diuresis and natriuresis produced by increasing the intrapelvic pressure were seen in sham-operated (Sham) rats, but it was largely attenuated in RAO rats. Using single-fiber recordings of the renal MRu discharge, graded increases in intrapelvic pressure or renal pelvic administration of substance P (SP) resulted in pressureor concentration-dependent increases in ARNA in the control kidney of Sham rats, whereas attenuated responses were seen in the postischemic kidney of RAO rats. The unresponsiveness of renal MRus in RAO rats was accompanied by an insufficient release of SP. However, the baseline SP release is higher in RAO kidneys due to a reduced neutral endopeptidase (NEP) activity in the renal pelvis of the postischemic kidney. No changes in NK-1 receptor mRNA levels were demonstrated; however, the expression of NK-1 receptors in the plasma membrane of RAO pelvis were decreased, possibly resulting from the internalization of the receptors associated with ␤-arrestin trafficking. Renal excretory responses after saline loading were significantly lower in the postischemic kidney of RAO rats than in Sham rats. Responses of ARNA and ERNA were also lower. It is concluded that the defective activation of renal sensory mechanoreceptors in the postischemic kidney results from an inadequate release of SP after mechanostimulation and the reduced functional NK-1 receptors.Ischemia-induced acute renal failure is characterized by renal hypoperfusion, decreased renal function, and nitrogen waste retention (1). Complete renal artery occlusion has been used in animal models to determine the mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of acute renal failure (2). Previous studies of rats after 45 min of unilateral renal arterial occlusion (RAO) and 24 h of reperfusion have demonstrated renal hypofunction in the postischemic kidney (3,4) and abnormal renal nerve activity (5). Certain experimental approaches, such as infusion of atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) (6) or saline (5,7), can restore renal function after renal ischemia, but recovery of urinary excretion is never complete. Surgical and pharmacologic renal denervation improves renal excretion in response to natriuretic stimuli and prevents the development of acute renal failure (8). These findings suggest that the defective natriuretic response seen in ischemic acute renal failure is frequently associated with increased renal sympathetic nerve activity; however, the underlying mechanism affecting renal nerve activity in this condition, especially the role of afferent renal nerve activity, is not known.We have demonstrated an impaired renal sensory response in rat models associated...

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d-Opioid receptor (DOR) is an oxygen-sensitive protein whose function in the rat retina is unknown. We examined whether DOR is involved in hypoxic preconditioning (HPC)-mediated retinoprotection following intraocular pressure (IOP) elevation. Rats were exposed to intermittent hypoxia (10% oxygen) to induce HPC. Unilateral retinal ischemia/reperfusion injury was induced by elevating IOP to 100 mmHg for 1 h. HPC attenuated the loss of neuronal marker expression and increased pro-apoptotic caspase 3 activity in the IOP retina. Excess superoxide production and 8-iso-prostaglandin F2a accumulation caused by enhanced oxidant protein expression and reduced antioxidant enzyme level after IOP elevation were largely abrogated by HPC. HPC markedly increased the expression of hypoxia-inducible factor-1a (HIF-1a) and DOR, but intravitreal administration of HIF-1a-specific small interfering RNA abrogated the up-regulation of DOR. This suggested that DOR functions downstream of HIF-1a. However, the endogenous content of leucine enkephalin in retinas was not affected by HPC or IOP. Treatment of retinas with the DOR antagonist naltrindole attenuated the HPC-induced protection and activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase. These results suggest a novel mechanism of HPCmediated retinoprotection whereby HIF-1a induces the expression of DOR, and DOR-mediated activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase triggers cellular events that correct the redox imbalance in the post-ischemic retina.

The presence of NADPH oxidase (Nox) in the kidney, especially Nox4, results in H2O2 production, which regulates Na(+) excretion and urine formation. Redox-sensitive transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 channels (TRPV1s) are distributed in mechanosensory fibers of the renal pelvis and monitor changes in intrapelvic pressure (IPP) during urine formation. The present study tested whether H2O2 derived from Nox4 affects TRPV1 function in renal sensory responses. Perfusion of H2O2 into the renal pelvis dose dependently increased afferent renal nerve activity and substance P (SP) release. These responses were attenuated by cotreatment with catalase or TRPV1 blockers. In single unit recordings, H2O2 activated afferent renal nerve activity in response to rising IPP but not high salt. Western blots revealed that Nox2 (gp91(phox)) and Nox4 are both present in the rat kidney, but Nox4 is abundant in the renal pelvis and originates from dorsal root ganglia. This distribution was associated with expression of the Nox4 regulators p22(phox) and polymerase δ-interacting protein 2. Coimmunoprecipitation experiments showed that IPP increases polymerase δ-interacting protein 2 association with Nox4 or p22(phox) in the renal pelvis. Interestingly, immunofluorescence labeling demonstrated that Nox4 colocalizes with TRPV1 in sensory fibers of the renal pelvis, indicating that H2O2 generated from Nox4 may affect TRPV1 activity. Stepwise increases in IPP and saline loading resulted in H2O2 and SP release, sensory activation, diuresis, and natriuresis. These effects, however, were remarkably attenuated by Nox inhibition. Overall, these results suggest that Nox4-positive fibers liberate H2O2 after mechanostimulation, thereby contributing to a renal sensory nerve-mediated diuretic/natriuretic response.

Chronic hypoxic (CH) preconditioning reduces superoxide-induced renal dysfunction via the upregulation of superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity and contents. Endotoxaemia reduces renal antioxidant status. We hypothesize that CH preconditioning might protect the kidney from subsequent endotoxaemia-induced oxidative injury. Endotoxaemia was induced by intraperitoneal injection of lipopolysaccharide (LPS; 4 mg kg −1 ) in rats kept at sea level (SL) and rats with CH in an altitude chamber (5500 m for 15 h day −1 ) for 4 weeks. LPS enhanced xanthine oxidase (XO) and gp91phox (catalytic subunit of NADPH oxidase) expression associated with burst amount of superoxide production from the SL kidney surface and renal venous blood detected by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence. LPS induced a morphologic-independent renal dysfunction in baseline and acute saline loading stages and increased renal IL-1β protein and urinary protein concentration in the SL rats. After 4 weeks of induction, CH significantly increased Cu/ZnSOD, MnSOD and catalase expression (16 ± 17, 128 ± 35 and 48 ± 21, respectively) in renal cortex, and depressed renal cortex XO (44 ± 16%) and renal cortex (20 ± 9%) and medulla (28 ± 11%) gp91phox when compared with SL rats. The combined effect of enhanced antioxidant proteins and depressed oxidative proteins significantly reduced LPS-enhanced superoxide production, renal XO and gp91phox expression, renal IL-1β production, and urinary protein level. CH also ameliorated LPS-induced renal dysfunction in the baseline and acute saline loading periods. We conclude that CH treatment enhances the intrarenal antioxidant/oxidative protein ratio to overcome endotoxaemia-induced reactive oxygen species formation and inflammatory cytokine release.

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