Effects of chronic hypobaric hypoxia exposure on dendritic spine morphological changes and filamin-A expression in neurons of mouse hippocampal CA1 region

AIM:To investigate the effects of hypobaric hypoxic exposure on the morphological changes of dendritic spines and the expression of filamin-A in the neurons of mouse hippocampal CA1 region. METHODS:C57BL/6 male mice (6~8-week-old) were divided into normoxia 7 d group, normoxia 14 d group, hypobaric hypoxia 7 d group and hypobaric hypoxia 14 d group. The mice in hypobaric hypoxia exposure groups were placed in a hypobaric chamber with hypobaric hypoxia exposure to simulate the plateau at an altitude of 6 000 m. Golgi staining assay was used to observe the branch number of dendrites, and the length and density of basal and apical dendritic spines in the hippocampal CA1 region. The protein expression of filamin-A in the hippocampus of the mice was determined by Western blot. The protein expression and distribution of filamin-A in the hippocampal CA1 region were detected by immunofluorescence staining. RESULTS:Compared with normoxia exposure group, no significant difference of the number of dendritic branches in the hippocampal CA1 region after hypobaric hypoxia exposure was observed. However, the length of basal spines and apical spines was increased significantly (P<0.05), and the density of basal spines and apical spines was significantly reduced after hypobaric hypoxia exposure (P<0.01). The results of Western blot showed that the protein expression of filamin-A in the hippocampus of the mice after hypobaric hypoxia exposure was lower than that in normoxia exposure group (P<0.01 or P<0.05). Immunofluorescence staining showed that the filamin-A protein was expressed in the mouse hippocampal CA1 region, and the expression level after hypobaric hypoxia exposure was lower than that in normoxia group. CONCLUSION:Chronic hypobaric hypoxia exposure affects the protein expression level of filamin-A in the mouse hippocampal CA1 region, thus leading to the morphological changes of dendritic spines in the hippocampal CA1 region.