Neuroprotective effect of neuroglobin in hypoxia/ischemia

Abstract

Neuroglobin is a representative of the globin group, an oxygen-binding protein which is predominantly expressed in the nervous system. Despite the large amount of conducted research, its role is still poorly understood. It’s assumed that neuroglobin is able to regulate cell activity in health and disease:in health it provides oxygen homeostasis of neurons, and in pathology it binds free radicals and nitrogen monoxide, blocks mitochondrial factors of apoptosis and suppresses oxidative stress. A clearer understanding of the role of neuroglobin in pathology can offer new approaches in the treatment of neurodegenerative diseases. Special attention in the literature is paid to the role of neuroglobin in cerebral ischemia, which among other cerebrovascular diseases is the cause of disability and mortality of the population all over the world. In the present article an overview of the literature data available to date on the study of the neuroprotective effect of neuroglobin in hypoxia/ischemia is provided: models used to study function in vitro and in vivo, the effects of its increased or decreased expression, neuroglobin-mediated neuroprotective action of hemin, estimated pathways of the induction of neuroglobin and views on the mechanisms of neuroprotection.

Keywords

• neuroglobin
• globins
• ischemia
• hypoxia
• brain