Global analysis of protein expression in focal cerebral ischemia in rats

Abstract

Protein expression was investigated in the rat cortex 24 h after occlusion of the middle cerebral artery (MCAO) via two-dimensional electrophoresis. At pH 4-7, 52 protein spots were changed with 2-3-fold between sham and MCAO samples, and 13 spots were changed over 3-fold; while at pH 6-11, only 4 spots showed more than 2-fold changes. The 13 spots with 3-fold changes at pH 4-7 and the 4 spots at pH 6-11 were chosen for spot identification, and 12 of them were identified as 9 different proteins: dihydropyrimidinase-related protein 2 (DRP-2, accounting for 3 spots), spectrin alpha II chain (accounting for 2 spots), tropomodulin 2, beta-actin, N-ethylmaleimide sensitive factor (NSF), heat hock protein cognate 70-pseudogene 1, and glyceraldehydes 3-phosphate dehydrogenase are increased after MCAO; mitochondrial H+-ATP synthase alpha subunit and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein A2/B1 are reduced. As DRP-2, spectrin alpha II chain, tropomodulin 2 and NSF are involved in axonal and neurite growth as well as synaptic plasticity and maturation, the upregulation of these proteins may indicate active neuroregeneration after cerebral ischemia.