[Effect of repeated acute hypoxic treatment on the expression of alpha-synuclein in the mouse brain cortex]

An anti-alpha-synuclein (alpha-SYN) monoclonal antibody produced in our laboratory was used to investigate the effect of repeated acute hypoxic treatments on the expression of alpha-SYN in the mouse cerebral cortex. Western blot analysis showed that the expression levels of alpha-SYN in the cortex changed accordingly upon hypoxic exposure times, as that the alpha-synuclein level significantly increased after the first hypoxic exposure and then dropped down to the background level after the fourth hypoxic exposure. Immunohistochemical staining revealed that the alpha-SYN-immunopositive substance was localized not only in the nerve endings, but also within the nuclei of some neurons. The cell density of the neurons with alpha-SYN immunopositive nuclei was increased significantly after the first hypoxic exposure but returned back to control levels after the fourth hypoxic exposure. Our results indicate that both of the alpha-SYN expression level in the brain and the number of the neurons with alpha-SYN positive nuclei are affected by the repeated acute hypoxic treatments and that this modification is hypoxic time-dependent. The mechanism and the physiological significance underlying these changes need to be further investigated.