“Changes in the pattern of immunoreactivity of the SNARE proteins in the developing rat brain after neonatal hypoxic-hypoxia"

VALDEZ S R; PATTERSON, SEAN I.; SELTZER, ALICIA M

Córdoba

Congreso; Sociedad Argentina de Neuroquímica; 2000

SAN

Perinatal hypoxia might be able to disturb the development of the CNS without causing gross anatomical changes although in some cases motor and behavioral impairments had been associated to it. Individuals that suffered perinatal hypoxia may have increased sensitivity to neurodegenerative diseases. We studied the immunoreactivity pattern (IR) of the proteins of the SNARE complex, associated to fusion of the synaptic vesicles after mild hypoxia. Homogenates of hippocampus, striatum and cerebral cortex for Western blot analysis and slices of fixed tissue for immunohistochemistry were obtained from rats that were hypoxiated at postnatal day 4 th and evaluated at 7, 14, 21 and 36 days post-hypoxia (DPH). Monoclonal antibodies to synaptobrevin, SNAP-25, syntaxin and GAP-43 were used. Cerebral cortex: SNARE proteins and GAP-43 demostrated a decrease of IR at 7 DPH, and then a gradual increased above control values. Hippocampus: IR to SNARE proteins follows a similar pattern than in the cortex, although GAP-43 shows more stability. Striatum: IR to SNARE proteins increases steadily during development beyond control values. We concluded that an episode of mild hypoxia induces modifications in the pattern of IR of proteins involved in the fusion and recycling of the synaptic vesicles during the critical period of establishment and consolidation of the synapses.