AAS ›› 2014, Vol. 45 ›› Issue (4): 452-456.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.0529-1356.2014.04.003

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Expression of Caspase-12 in cellular apoptosis of hippocampus in the rat model of posttraumatic stress disorder

LIU Hong  HAN Fang  SHI Yu-xiu*   

  1. Department of Histology and Embryology, Basic Medical Sciences College, China Medical University, Shenyang 110001, China
  • Received:2013-09-04 Revised:2013-12-03 Online:2014-08-06 Published:2014-08-06

Abstract:

Objective To observe changes of apoptosis and Caspase-12 expression in hippocampus of the rat model of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD).Methods Single prolonged stress (SPS) was used to duplicate a rat model of PTSD.Male Wistar rats were randomly divided into 1, 4, 7 days groups after exposure to SPS and a normal control group. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe morphologic changes of the hippocampus neurons. The expression of Caspase-12 was detected by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting and RT-PCR. Results After SPS, the hippocampus neurons had characteristic morphologic changes of apoptosis, and the expression of Caspase-12 reached the peak at SPS 4d.Conclusion PTSD activates the ERS-mediated apoptosis in hippocampus via Caspase-12, which may be a pathophysiology base of the atrophy of the hippocampus in PTSD.

Key words: Posttraumatic stress disorder, Hippocampus, Neuron, Wstern blotting, Rat