In the hypoxic central nervous system, endothelial cell proliferation is followed by astrocyte activation, proliferation, and increased expression of the α6β4 integrin and dystroglycan
التفاصيل البيبلوغرافية
العنوان:
In the hypoxic central nervous system, endothelial cell proliferation is followed by astrocyte activation, proliferation, and increased expression of the α6β4 integrin and dystroglycan
Cerebral hypoxia induces a profound angiogenic response in the central nervous system (CNS). Using a mouse model of chronic cerebral hypoxia, we previously demonstrated that angiogenic vessels in the hypoxic CNS show marked upregulation of the extracellular matrix (ECM) protein fibronectin, along with increased expression of its major receptor, α5β1integrin on brain endothelial cells (BEC). As cerebral hypoxia also leads to glial activation, the aim of the current study was to define the temporal relationship between BEC responses and glial cell activation in this model of cerebral hypoxia. This revealed that BEC fibronectin/α5β1 integrin expression and proliferation both reached maximal level after 4 days hypoxia. Interestingly, up to 4 days hypoxia, all dividing cells were BEC, but at later time-points proliferating astrocytes were also observed. GFAP staining revealed that hypoxia induced marked astrocyte activation that reached maximal level between 7–14 days hypoxia. As newly formed cerebral capillaries require ensheathment by astrocyte end-feet in order to acquire mature brain endothelium characteristics, we next examined how expression of astrocyte end-feet adhesion molecules is regulated by hypoxia. This showed that the astrocyte adhesion receptors α6β4 integrin and dystroglycan were both markedly upregulated, with a time-course that closely resembled astrocyte activation. Taken together, this evidence shows that cerebral hypoxia promotes first an endothelial response, in which fibronectin promotes BEC proliferation. This is then followed by an astrocyte response, involving astrocyte activation, proliferation and re-organization of astrocyte end-feet, which correlates with increased expression of astrocyte end-feet adhesion molecules.
