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Stroke is a devastating disease with limited treatment options. Recently, we found that the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma (PPARgamma) agonists troglitazone and pioglitazone reduce injury and inflammation in a rat model of transient cerebral ischemia. The mechanism of this protection is unclear, as these agents can act through PPAR-gamma activation or through PPAR-gamma-independent mechanisms. Therefore, we examined PPAR-gamma expression, DNA binding and transcriptional activity following stroke. In addition, we used a PPAR-gamma antagonist, T0070907, to determine the role of PPAR-gamma during ischemia. Using immunohistochemical techniques and real-time PCR, we found low levels of PPAR-gamma mRNA and PPAR-gamma immunoreactivity in nonischemic brain; however, PPAR-gamma expression dramatically increased in ischemic neurons, peaking 24 h following middle cerebral artery occlusion. Interestingly, we found that in both vehicle- and agonist-treated brains, DNA binding was reduced in the ischemic hemisphere relative to the contralateral hemisphere. Expression of a PPAR-gamma target gene, lipoprotein lipase, was also reduced in ischemic relative to nonischemic brain. Both DNA binding and lipoprotein lipase expression were increased by the addition of the PPAR-gamma agonist rosiglitazone. Finally, we found that rosiglitazone-mediated protection after stroke was reversed by the PPAR-gamma antagonist T0070907. Interestingly, infarction size was also increased by T0070907 in the absence of PPAR-gamma agonist, suggesting that endogenous PPAR-gamma ligands may mitigate the effects of cerebral ischemia.

Neuroprotective properties of ketosis may be related to the up-regulation of hypoxia inducible factor 1 (HIF-1α), a primary constituent associated with hypoxic angiogenesis and a regulator of neuroprotective responses. The rationale that the utilization of ketones by brain results in elevation of intracellular succinate, a known inhibitor of prolyl-hydroxylase (the enzyme responsible for the degradation of HIF-1α) was deemed as a potential mechanism of ketosis on the up-regulation of HIF-1α. The neuroprotective effect of diet-induced ketosis (3 weeks of feeding a ketogenic diet), as pretreatment, on infarct volume, following reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) and the up-regulation of HIF-1α was investigated. The effect of beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), as a pretreatment via intraventricular infusion (4 days of infusion prior to stroke) was also investigated following MCAO. HIF-1α and Bcl-2 (anti-apoptotic protein) protein levels, and succinate content were measured. A 55–70% reduction in infarct volume was observed with BHB infusion or diet-induced ketosis, respectively. HIF-1α and Bcl-2 protein levels increased 3-fold with diet-induced ketosis; BHB infusions resulted in increases in these proteins. As hypothesized, succinate content increased by 55% with diet-induced ketosis and 4-fold with BHB infusion. We conclude, the biochemical link between ketosis and the stabilization of HIF-1α is through the elevation of succinate, and both HIF-1α stabilization and Bcl-2 up-regulation play a role in ketone induced neuroprotection in brain.

Abstract— The concentrations of metabolites which reflect energy production or use (P‐creatine, ATP. ADP. 5′AMP, glucose, glycogen and lactate) and cyclic nucleotides (cyclic AMP and cyclic GMP) were measured in gerbil cortex during ischemia and recirculation. Bilateral ischemia of the gerbil brain was chosen as a model to ensure the assessment of short periods of ischemia without ambiguity. The metabolites and cyclic nucleotides were measured after, 1, 5. 20. 30 and 60 min of ischemia; and 1, 5, 30, 60 and 360 min after circulation was reestablished. The greatest changes in metabolites and cyclic nucleotides due to ischemia occurred during the 1st min; ischemia of longer duration had little further effect. However, the restoration of the metabolic profile was altered by the duration of the ischemic period. In general, the longer the period of ischemia, the slower the replenishment of high‐energy phosphate compounds and energy sources. Cyclic AMP increased 5‐ to 13‐fold during ischemia; cyclic GMP decreased to as little as one‐fifth control values 60min after occlusion. During recirculation, cyclic AMP increased as much as 100‐fold, while cyclic GMP increased up to 6‐fold. The temporal derangements in cyclic nucleotide concentrations coincide with the loss and restoration of cortical activity; a possible mechanism has been suggested.

The time course of the reduction in brain protein synthesis following transient bilateral ischemia in the gerbil was characterized and compared with changes in a number of metabolites related to brain energy metabolism. The recovery of brain protein synthesis was similar following ischemic periods of 5, 10, or 20 min; in vitro incorporation activity of brain supernatants was reduced to approximately 10% of control at 10 or 30 min recirculation, showed slight recovery at 60 min, and returned to 60% of control activity by 4 h. Protein synthesis activity was indistinguishable from control at 24 h. One minute of ischemia produced no detectable effect on protein synthesis measured after 30 min reperfusion; longer periods of ischemia resulted in progressive inhibition, with 5 min producing the maximal effect. Pentobarbital (50 mg/kg) increased by 1-2 min the threshold ischemic duration required to produce a given effect. Whereas most metabolites recovered quickly following 5 min ischemia, glycogen showed a delayed recovery comparable to that seen for protein synthesis. These results are discussed in relation to possible mechanisms for the coordinate regulation of brain energy metabolism and protein synthesis. An improved method for the fluorimetric measurement of guanine nucleotides is described.

Abstract. A heat-labile factor in cell-free filtrate of a Vibrio cholerae culture induces a marked rise in the wet-weight concentration of adenosine 3': 5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) in the intestinal mucosa of the dog. The increase becomes appreciable 1-1.5 hr after intraluminal administration of the filtrate, about the same time as the onset of intestinal secretion in response to a heat-labile enterotoxin in the filtrate. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that cyclic AMP may be an intermediary in the intestinal secretory response to cholera toxin.When added to sheets of isolated rabbit ileal mucosa, adenosine 3':5'-cyclic monophosphate (cyclic AMP) induces an abrupt reversal of net chloride flux from the absorptive to the secretory direction, along with other ion-flux changes.' If water accompanies the ions isosmotically a substantial secretion of fluid should result. In vivo as well as in vitro, agents that may increase concentrations of cyclic AMP in other tissues (prostaglandins) or potentiate such elevation (theophylline) also induce net intestinal secretion of ions and, at least in vivo, of water.'4 Similar indirect evidence suggests that cyclic AMP may play a physiological role not only in intestinal secretion but also in various other gastrointestinal secretory processes.-So far as we know, however, an increase in tissue concentrations of cyclic AMP has not been demonstrated in any gastrointestinal secretory state (see note added in proof).A heat-labile enterotoxic moiety found in cell-free filtrates of Vibrio cholerae cultures evokes a profuse intestinal secretion in several species.6'7 Such filtrates are reported2 48 to have effects on intestinal ion fluxes in vitro, and on fluxes of water and ions in vivo, closely mimicking those of exogenous cyclic AMP, prostaglandins, and theophylline. It has therefore been suggested' 4 that the mechanism by which cholera enterotoxin induces intestinal secretion may involve cyclic AMP. The plausibility of this hypothesis is not diminished by recent reports that partially purified cholera enterotoxin in low concentrations also mimics one effect of cyclic AMP in a functionally quite different system, the fat cell, where it stimulates lipolysis.9 10 As yet, however, it has not been directly demonstrated that a cell-free filtrate of a V. cholerae culture can induce a rise in 851

High doses of methamphetamine (METH) produce a long-term depletion in striatal tissue dopamine content. The mechanism mediating this toxicity has been associated with increased concentrations of dopamine and glutamate and altered energy metabolism. In vivo microdialysis was used to assess and alter the metabolic environment of the brain during high doses of METH. METH significantly increased extracellular concentrations of lactate in striatum and prefrontal cortex. This increase was significantly greater in striatum and coincided with the greater vulnerability of this brain region to the toxic effects of METH. To examine the effect of supplementing energy metabolism on METH-induced dopamine content depletions, the striatum was perfused directly with decylubiquinone or nicotinamide to enhance the energetic capacity of the tissue during or after a neurotoxic dosing regimen of METH. When decylubiquinone or nicotinamide was perfused into striatum during the administration of METH, there was no significant effect on METH-induced striatal dopamine efflux, glutamate efflux, or the longterm dopamine depletions measured 7 days later. However, a delayed perfusion with decylubiquinone or nicotinamide for 6 h beginning immediately after the last METH injection attenuated the METH-induced striatal dopamine depletions measured 1 week later. These results support the hypothesis that the compromised metabolic state produced by METH administration predisposes dopamine terminals to the neurotoxic effects of glutamate, dopamine, and/or free radicals. Key Words: Methamphetamine -Dopamine-Glutamate -Striatum -Neurotoxicity-Energy metabolism.