glycogen and Stroke

The principal modifiable risk factors for stroke are hypertension, diabetes mellitus, hypercholesterolaemia, hyperhomocysteinaemia, smoking and limited physical activity. However, it is not clear whether physical inactivity is a risk factor per se, or because it predisposes to pathological conditions that are risk factors for stroke. The limited availability of effective therapeutic approaches for stroke emphasizes the crucial role of prevention of risk factors. The global burden associated with type 2 diabetes is large and continues to grow. Convincing epidemiologic data support the role of physical activity in preventing type 2 diabetes. The increasing evidence of physical activity in preventing diabetic complications, including stroke, has generated interest in the molecular basis underlying these beneficial effects. The aim of the present review is to discuss the biological mechanisms underlying the effect of physical activity in preventing stroke in type 2 diabetes.

Topics: Animals; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2; Endothelium; Exercise; Exercise Therapy; Glucose Transporter Type 4; Glycogen; Humans; Insulin; Lipid Metabolism; Muscle, Skeletal; Nitric Oxide; Risk Factors; Signal Transduction; Stroke

Topics: Brain; Glycogen; Head; Humans; Ischemic Stroke; Stroke

Stroke is the second leading cause of death and the third leading cause of disability globally. Edema is a hallmark of stroke resulting from dysregulation of water homeostasis in the central nervous system (CNS) and plays the major role in stroke-associated morbidity and mortality. The overlap between cellular and vasogenic edema makes treating this condition complicated, and to date, there is no pathogenically oriented drug treatment for edema. Water balance in the brain is tightly regulated, primarily by aquaporin 4 (AQP4) channels, which are mainly expressed in perivascular astrocytic end-feet. Targeting AQP4 could be a useful therapeutic approach for treating brain edema; however, there is no approved drug for stroke treatment that can directly block AQP4. In this study, we demonstrate that the FDA-approved drug trifluoperazine (TFP) effectively reduces cerebral edema during the early acute phase in post-stroke mice using a photothrombotic stroke model. This effect was combined with an inhibition of AQP4 expression at gene and protein levels. Importantly, TFP does not appear to induce any deleterious changes on brain electrolytes or metabolic markers, including total protein or lipid levels. Our results support a possible role for TFP in providing a beneficial extra-osmotic effect on brain energy metabolism, as indicated by the increase of glycogen levels. We propose that targeting AQP4-mediated brain edema using TFP is a viable therapeutic strategy during the early and acute phase of stroke that can be further investigated during later stages to help in developing novel CNS edema therapies.

Topics: Animals; Aquaporin 4; Biomarkers; Brain; Disease Models, Animal; Glycogen; Male; Mice; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Protein Aggregates; Stroke; Trifluoperazine

Hypoxia has been implicated in the pathology of the central nervous system during stroke. It also has a significant effect on the regulation of glucose transporters (GLUTs), and homeostasis between glucose uptake and consumption. CoCl2 is a hypoxia‑mimetic agent, and thus stabilizes the hypoxia‑inducible factor 1α (HIF‑1α) subunit and regulates GLUT genes. GLUT‑1 and GLUT‑3 are the most common isoforms of the GLUT family present in the brain, with the former primarily expressed in astrocytes and the latter in neurons under physiological conditions. However, it remains controversial whether GLUT‑3 is expressed in astrocytes. Additionally, it is unclear whether the regulation of GLUT‑1 and GLUT‑3, and glucose homeostasis, are affected by CoCl2 treatment in a time‑dependent manner. In the present study, mRNA and protein levels of GLUT‑1, GLUT‑3 and HIF‑1α in astrocytes were examined by reverse transcription‑quantitative polymerase chain reaction and western blot analysis, respectively. The intracellular glucose concentration, glycogen storage, ATP content, pyruvate concentration, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) release activity and cell viability in astrocytes were also investigated. The observations of the current study confirmed that both protein and mRNA levels of GLUT‑1 and GLUT‑3 were elevated in a time‑dependent manner induced by CoCl2 treatment, followed by accumulation of HIF‑1α. Furthermore, in the early period of CoCl2 treatment (≤8 h at 100 µM), LDH release, ATP content, glycogen storage and cell viability remained unchanged, whereas intracellular pyruvate concentration increased and glucose concentration was reduced. However, in the later period of CoCl2 treatment (>8 h at 100 µM), LDH release and intracellular pyruvate concentration increased, while intracellular glucose concentration, ATP content and glycogen storage were reduced. This may be due to disruption of homeostasis and reduced cell viability. In conclusion, alteration in the expression levels of GLUT‑1 and GLUT‑3, and the homeostasis between glucose uptake and consumption were affected by CoCl2 treatment, in a time‑dependent manner, and may result in reduced energy production and cell viability in astrocytes.

Topics: Adenosine Triphosphate; Animals; Astrocytes; Cell Hypoxia; Cell Survival; Cells, Cultured; Cobalt; Glucose; Glucose Transporter Type 1; Glucose Transporter Type 3; Glycogen; Homeostasis; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit; Mice, Inbred BALB C; Pyruvic Acid; Stroke

Ischemic stroke is the combinatorial effect of many pathological processes including the loss of energy supplies, excessive intracellular calcium accumulation, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses. The brain's ability to maintain energy demand through this process involves metabolism of glycogen, which is critical for release of stored glucose. However, regulation of glycogen metabolism in ischemic stroke remains unknown. In the present study, we investigate the role and regulation of glycogen metabolizing enzymes and their effects on the fate of glycogen during ischemic stroke.. Ischemic stroke was induced in rats by peri-vascular application of the vasoconstrictor endothelin-1 and forebrains were collected at 1, 3, 6 and 24 hours post-stroke. Glycogen levels and the expression and activity of enzymes involved in glycogen metabolism were analyzed. We found elevated glycogen levels in the ipsilateral hemispheres compared with contralateral hemispheres at 6 and 24 hours (25% and 39% increase respectively; P<0.05). Glycogen synthase activity and glycogen branching enzyme expression were found to be similar between the ipsilateral, contralateral, and sham control hemispheres. In contrast, the rate-limiting enzyme for glycogen breakdown, glycogen phosphorylase, had 58% lower activity (P<0.01) in the ipsilateral hemisphere (24 hours post-stroke), which corresponded with a 48% reduction in cAMP-dependent protein kinase A (PKA) activity (P<0.01). In addition, glycogen debranching enzyme expression 24 hours post-stroke was 77% (P<0.01) and 72% lower (P<0.01) at the protein and mRNA level, respectively. In cultured rat primary cerebellar astrocytes, hypoxia and inhibition of PKA activity significantly reduced glycogen phosphorylase activity and increased glycogen accumulation but did not alter glycogen synthase activity. Furthermore, elevated glycogen levels provided metabolic support to astrocytes during hypoxia.. Our study has identified that glycogen breakdown is impaired during ischemic stroke, the molecular basis of which includes reduced glycogen debranching enzyme expression level together with reduced glycogen phosphorylase and PKA activity.

Topics: Animals; Astrocytes; Brain Ischemia; Cell Hypoxia; Cell Survival; Cyclic AMP-Dependent Protein Kinases; Energy Metabolism; Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; Glycogen; Glycogen Debranching Enzyme System; Glycogen Phosphorylase; Male; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Rats; Rats, Wistar; Reperfusion; Stroke