Misregulation of Iron Handling Proteins in Excitotoxic Brain Injury

The increased iron has been implicated as a major generator of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which can cause neuronal death in neurodegenerative diseases. The present study was also carried out to elucidate the expression of iron handling proteins such as divalent metal transporter-1 (DMT1) isoforms, iron regulatory proteins (IRPs), and ferritin in the kainate lesioned hippocampus.A sustained, upregulation of IRP1, IRP2, DMT1 and -IRE DMT1 protein was detected in astrocytes in the kainate lesioned hippocampus. An increase in ferritin expression, and increased level of ferric iron and ferrous iron were also observed in microglia and oligodendrocytes in the kainate-lesioned hippocampus. Increased expression of the iron transporters, ferroportin-1 and ceruloplasmin was also observed after kainate injection. The misregulation of iron handling proteins would lead to abnormally high iron accumulation in kainate lesioned hippocampus, which generate reactive oxidative stress and further contribute to neuronal cell death.

Author dc:creator

• HUANG EN

• Iron, iron handling proteins, Kainate, DMT1, ferrotin, electron microscopy