Long-term expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1, HSP-32) following focal cerebral infarctions and traumatic brain injury in humans

• Published in: Acta neuropathologica Vol. 100; no. 4; pp. 377 - 384
• Main Authors: BESCHORNER, R, ADJODAH, D, SCHWAB, J. M, MITTELBRONN, M, PEDAL, I, MATTERN, R, SCHLUESENER, H. J, MEYERMANN, R
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Berlin Springer 01.10.2000; Springer Nature B.V
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Aged, 80 and over; Antioxidants; Astrocytes; Bilirubin; Bilirubin - metabolism; Biliverdin; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Injuries - genetics; Brain Injuries - metabolism; Brain Ischemia - genetics; Brain Ischemia - metabolism; Carbon monoxide; Cerebral Infarction - genetics; Cerebral Infarction - metabolism; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Gene Expression Regulation; Heme; Heme oxygenase (decyclizing); Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) - biosynthesis; Heme Oxygenase (Decyclizing) - genetics; Heme Oxygenase-1; Hemoglobin; Hemorrhage; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Injuries of the nervous system and the skull. Diseases due to physical agents; Ischemia; Isoenzymes - biosynthesis; Isoenzymes - genetics; Macrophages; Male; Medical sciences; Membrane Proteins; Microglia; Middle Aged; Nerve Tissue Proteins - biosynthesis; Nerve Tissue Proteins - genetics; Neurodegenerative diseases; Neurology; Oxidative stress; Oxygenase; Time Factors; Traumas. Diseases due to physical agents; Traumatic brain injury; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Human; Immunohistochemistry; Cerebral infarction; Nervous system diseases; Pathophysiology; Enzyme; Craniocerebral; Diseases of the osteoarticular system; Heme oxygenase (decyclizing); Cardiovascular disease; Gene expression; Long term; Trauma; Cerebral disorder; Vascular disease; Pathology; Central nervous system disease; Skull disease; Evolution; Oxidoreductases; Cerebrovascular disease; Comparative study
• ISSN: 0001-6322; 1432-0533
• DOI: 10.1007/s004010000202

Extracellular heme derived from hemoglobin following hemorrhage or released from dying cells induces the expression of heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1, HSP-32) which metabolizes heme to the gaseous mediator carbon monoxide (CO), iron (Fe) and biliverdin. Biliverdin and its product bilirubin are powerful antioxidants. Thus, expression of HO-1 is considered to be a protective mechanism against oxidative stress and has been described in microglia, astrocytes and neurons following distinct experimental models of pathological alterations to the brain such as subarachnoidal hemorrhage, ischemia and traumatic brain injury (TBI) and in human neurodegenerative diseases. We have now analyzed the expression of HO-1 in human brains following TBI (n = 28; survival times: few minutes up to 6 months) and focal cerebral infarctions (FCI; n = 17; survival time: < 1 day up to months) by immunohistochemistry. Follwing TBI, accumulation of HO-1+ microglia/macrophages at the hemorrhagic lesion was detected as early as 6 h post trauma and was still pronounced after 6 months. In contrast, after FCI HO-1+ microglia/macrophages accumulated within focal hemorrhages only and were absent in non-hemorrhagic regions. Further, HO-1 was weakly expressed in astrocytes in the perifocal penumbra. In contrast to experimental data derived from rat focal ischemia, these results indicate a prolonged HO-1 expression in humans after brain injury.