The study on apoptosis and the expression of related genes at CA3 zone of hippocampus after diffuse brain injury in rats

Objective To study apoptosis and the expression of the related genes protein, including Bcl-2 ,Bax and Caspase-3,at CA3 zone of hippocampus at different survival time after diffuse brain injury in rats, and to investigate the molecular mechanism of neuronal apoptosis following cerebral trauma.Methods Both brain cell apoptotic rate and the expression of Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3 protein at CA3 zone of hippocampus in different time following brain trauma had been detected respectively using flow cytometry (FCM) and immunohistochemistry.Results Different degrees of neuronal apoptosis at CA3 zone after brain trauma could be detected; the expression of Bcl-2 protein decreased, while the immunoreactivity of Bax and Caspase-3 protein increased after cerebral trauma; the peak time of the expression of Caspase-3 protein presented later than that of Bax protein.Conclusion There are different degrees of cell apoptosis and the alteration of immunoreactivity of Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase-3 protein at CA3 zone of hippocampus in rats after diffuse brain injury. The descending of the ratio of the expression of Bcl-2 vs Bax protein prior to the increase of expression of Caspase, it is implied that the ratio of Bcl-2 protein vs Bax may facilitate the activation of Caspase-3 and accelerate neuronal apoptosis.