Proteomic Analysis of Focal Cerebral Ischemic Injury in Male Rats

The present study identified the proteins that are differentially expressed during ischemic brain injury. Adult male rats were performed a middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) to induce cerebral ischemia, and brains were collected at 24 hr after MCAO. Protein analysis was performed on the cerebral cortex using two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. Protein spots with a greater than 3 fold change in intensity between the sham and MCAO groups were identified by mass spectrometry. Among these proteins, 60 kDa heat shock protein, dehydropyrimidinase-related protein 2, t-complex protein 1, and Rho GDP dissociation inhibitor levels were significantly increased in MCAO group compared to those of the sham group. In contrast, thioredoxin, peroxiredoxin-2, stathmin, ubiquitin carboxy-terminal hydrolase L1, guanine nucleotide-binding protein alpha, pyridoxal-5'-phosphate phosphatase, and apoplipoprotein A-I levels were significantly decreased in MCAO group. These results suggest that cerebral ischemia induces neuronal cells death by changing expression levels of several proteins.