39th Annual Student Research Conference
Proteomics Analysis of Rats' Hippocampus Tissue Following Repeated Mild Hypoxia
Adison P. Mosher* and Hannah E. Rodriguez
Dr. Daniela Ostrowski (A.T. Still University) and Dr. Stephen Hudman, Faculty Mentors
The brain, although only ~2% of body weight, consumes about 20% of the body’s oxygen, making neural tissue particularly vulnerable to hypoxic and ischemic injury. While severe hypoxia contributes to neurological damage, repeated mild hypoxia can induce adaptive cellular responses that increase tolerance to subsequent stress, a phenomenon known as hypoxic preconditioning. This study investigated hypoxia-induced protein changes in the hippocampus, a region critical for learning and memory, and examined sex-specific molecular adaptations. Eight-week-old male and female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed to either normoxic conditions or repeated mild hypoxia (10% O?, 2 hours/day for five exposures). Hippocampi were collected and analyzed using proteomics analysis. A total of 11,333 proteins were identified, with 91 differentially expressed in males and 52 in females. In males, hypoxia altered proteins associated with energy metabolism, mitochondrial function, and synaptic plasticity. In females, changes were enriched in pathways related to blood–brain barrier integrity, lipid metabolism, and structural regulation. These findings suggest that mild hypoxia induces sex-specific molecular remodeling in the hippocampus that may enhance resilience to future hypoxic or ischemic stress.
Keywords: proteomic analysis, neuroprotection, mild repeated hypoxia, hypoxic preconditioning, sex differences
Topic(s):Biochemistry and Molecular Biology
Biology
Presentation Type: Oral Presentation
Session: TBA
Location: TBA
Time: TBA