Autophagy, mitophagy and apoptotic gene changes in the hippocampal CA1 area in a rat ischemic model of Alzheimer's disease

Background: Postichemic brain injury correlates with poor prognosis since selectively vulnerable parts of brain are associated with apoptotic neuronal death. But autophagy has been recognized, as a probable survival mechanism following brain ischemia. Methods: We have analyzed, by quantitative reverse-transcriptase PCR assay protocol, three genes: autophagy, mitophagy and caspase 3 for neuronal death response in ischemic hippocampal CA1 area. Results: We have found that autophagy gene was not significantly modified at all time points after ischemia, whereas mitophagy and caspase 3 genes were upregulated at day 2 and decreased to basal values at days 7 and 30. Conclusion: It may be inferred that mitophagy process markedly accompanies apoptosis during delayed neuronal death in hippocampal CA1 area following brain ischemia. (c) 2017 Institute of Pharmacology, Polish Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Sp. z o.o. All rights reserved.