Caspases have been studied after ce

Caspases have been studied after cerebral ischemia. The mRNA and protein levels for caspase-1 increase in hippocampus following global ischemia in gerbils, but this change is associated with inflammatory cells rather than selectively vulnerable CAI pyramidal neurons (169). After global ischemia in rat, caspase-3 mRNA levels progressively increase in CAI at 24-72 h, although most neurons are already lost by 72 h, while caspase-3 mRNA is transiently elevated in dentate gyrus granule cells at 8 h postischemia (179). This latter pattern would be consistent with a role for caspase-3 in dentate gyrus granule neuron apoptosis that has been identified (149). Existing immunocytochemical analyses of caspases after ischemia are difficult to interpret because of proenzyme detection. Many of the currently available antibodies to caspase-3 are not monospecific for the active forms.