Stroke damage in mice after knocking the neutrophin-4 gene into the brain-derived neurotrophic factor locus.

Abstract

Neurotrophins play a protective role during cerebral ischemia, and mice lacking both alleles for neurotrophin 4 (Nt4-/- ) or deficient in a single allele for brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf+/-) have increased susceptibility to cerebral ischemia. This study directly compared the biologic activities of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and NT4 by replacing the coding sequence with the Nt4 sequence (Bdnf +/nt4-ki ). Mice expressing one allele in place of develop 61% bigger lesions after 1-hour middle cerebral artery occlusion compared with wild-type littermates. Physiologic parameters did not contribute to ischemia susceptibility. In conclusion, NT4 is less potent than BDNF in promoting brain survival after stroke.

• Authors: Matthias Endres, Guoping Fan, Lorenz Hirt, Rudolf Jaenisch
• Journal: Journal of cerebral blood flow and metabolism : official journal of the International Society of Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism (J Cereb Blood Flow Metab) Vol. 23 Issue 2 Pg. 150-3 (Feb 2003) ISSN: 0271-678X [Print] United States
• PMID: 12571446 (Publication Type: Journal Article, Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't, Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.)

Chemical References

• Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor
• Nerve Growth Factors
• neurotrophin 4

Topics

• Animals
• Brain Ischemia (complications, metabolism, pathology)
• Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (genetics, metabolism)
• Cerebral Infarction (pathology)
• Mice
• Mice, Transgenic (genetics)
• Nerve Growth Factors (genetics, metabolism)
• Nervous System Diseases (etiology)
• Stroke (complications, metabolism, pathology)