Erythropoietin Modulates Autophagy Signaling in the Developing Rat Brain in an In Vivo Model of Oxygen-Toxicity

International Journal of Molecular Sciences

Ivo Bendix⁵  Corina Schulze²  Clarissa von Haefen²  Alexandra Gellhaus¹  Stefanie Endesfelder³  Rolf Heumann⁴  Ursula Felderhoff-Mueser⁵ 

[1] Institute of Molecular Biology, University of Duisburg-Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany; E-Mail:;Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, 13353 Berlin, Germany; E-Mails:;Department of Neonatology, Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow-Klinikum, 13353 Berlin, Germany; E-Mail:;Department of Molecular Neurobiochemistry, Ruhr-University Bochum, 44780 Bochum, Germany; E-Mail:;Department of Pediatrics I, Neonatology, University Hospital Essen, 45122 Essen, Germany; E-Mail:

关键词: autophagym;    developing brain;    oxidative stress;    hyperoxia;    erythropoietin;   

DOI  :  10.3390/ijms131012939

来源: mdpi

【 摘 要 】

Autophagy is a self-degradative process that involves turnover and recycling of cytoplasmic components in healthy and diseased tissue. Autophagy has been shown to be protective at the early stages of programmed cell death but it can also promote apoptosis under certain conditions. Earlier we demonstrated that oxygen contributes to the pathogenesis of neonatal brain damage, which can be ameliorated by intervention with recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEpo). Extrinsic- and intrinsic apoptotic pathways are involved in oxygen induced neurotoxicity but the role of autophagy in this model is unclear. We analyzed the expression of autophagy activity markers in the immature rodent brain after exposure to elevated oxygen concentrations. We observed a hyperoxia-exposure dependent regulation of autophagy-related gene (Atg) proteins Atg3, 5, 12, Beclin-1, microtubule-associated protein 1 light chain 3 (LC3), LC3A-II, and LC3B-II which are all key autophagy activity proteins. Interestingly, a single injection with rhEpo at the onset of hyperoxia counteracted these oxygen-mediated effects. Our results indicate that rhEpo generates its protective effect by modifying the key autophagy activity proteins.

【 授权许可】

CC BY   
© 2012 by the authors; licensee Molecular Diversity Preservation International, Basel, Switzerland.