We studied the effect of brain and spinal cord injury induced by fluid-percussion on the local synthesis of neurosteroids as measured by a gas-chromatographic/mass-spectrometric method. In the nervous system of sham operated rats i.v. infusion of pregnenolone (PREGN)-sulfate results in a 2-4 fold increase in PREGN, progesterone (PROG), 5alpha-dehydroprogesterone (5 alpha-DHP) and 3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one (3 alpha 5 alpha-THP, allopregnanolone) concentrations, as compared to vehicle treated rats. When PREGN-sulfate was infused 1,3 or 7 days after brain or spinal cord injury it was observed a large time-dependent increase of FROG, 5 alpha-DHP and 3 alpha 5 alpha-THP levels in the peri-focal but not in the focal site. This increase in neurosteroids content may be due essentially to the glial cells hyperplasia in the peri-focal area and to an activation of the pathways involved in the metabolism of PREGN-sulfate to FROG, 5 alpha-DHP and 3 alpha 5 alpha-THP. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.
Di Michele, F., Lekieffre, D., Pasini, A., Bernardi, G., Benavides, J., Romeo, E. (2000). Increased neurosteroids synthesis after brain and spinal cord injury in rats. NEUROSCIENCE LETTERS, 284, 65-68 [10.1016/S0304-3940(00)00965-4].
Increased neurosteroids synthesis after brain and spinal cord injury in rats
PASINI, AUGUSTO;BERNARDI, GIORGIO;ROMEO, ELENA
2000-01-01
Abstract
We studied the effect of brain and spinal cord injury induced by fluid-percussion on the local synthesis of neurosteroids as measured by a gas-chromatographic/mass-spectrometric method. In the nervous system of sham operated rats i.v. infusion of pregnenolone (PREGN)-sulfate results in a 2-4 fold increase in PREGN, progesterone (PROG), 5alpha-dehydroprogesterone (5 alpha-DHP) and 3alpha-hydroxy-5alpha-pregnan-20-one (3 alpha 5 alpha-THP, allopregnanolone) concentrations, as compared to vehicle treated rats. When PREGN-sulfate was infused 1,3 or 7 days after brain or spinal cord injury it was observed a large time-dependent increase of FROG, 5 alpha-DHP and 3 alpha 5 alpha-THP levels in the peri-focal but not in the focal site. This increase in neurosteroids content may be due essentially to the glial cells hyperplasia in the peri-focal area and to an activation of the pathways involved in the metabolism of PREGN-sulfate to FROG, 5 alpha-DHP and 3 alpha 5 alpha-THP. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
