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Improved Method for the Preparation of a Human Cell-based, Contact Model of the Blood-Brain Barrier
Published on: November 13, 2013
Nonproteolytic neuroprotection by human recombinant tissue plasminogen activator
1National Creative Research Initiative Center for the Study of Central Nervous System Zinc and Department of Neurology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 388-1 Poongnap-Dong Songpa-Gu, Seoul 138-736, Korea.
Abstract:
Human recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) may benefit ischemic stroke patients by dissolving clots. However, independent of thrombolysis, tPA may also have deleterious effects on neurons by promoting excitotoxicity. Zinc neurotoxicity has been shown to be an additional key mechanism in brain injuries. Hence, if tPA affects zinc neurotoxicity, this may provide additional insights into its effect on neuronal death. Independent of its proteolytic action, tPA markedly attenuated zinc-induced cell death in cortical culture, and, when injected into cerebrospinal fluid, also reduced kainate seizure-induced hippocampal neuronal death in adult rats.

