published_or_final_version / Medicine / Master / Master of Philosophy

Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) is a common clinical problem. Tanshinone IIA is a compound purified from the Chinese herb Danshen ( Radix Salviae Miltiorrhiza Bge). Thrombopoietin (TPO) and Erythropoietin (Epo) are hematopoietic growth factors. The effects of tanshinone IIA, EPO and TPO on hypoxia-ischemia brain injury were investigated in this study, using in vitro model of neural cell culture and an in vivo model of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage. / Our observation provided the first evidence showing the expression of functional TPO receptor c-mpl in central nervous system. It revealed that novel agents TPO, EPO and tanshinone IIA have neuroprotection effects against brain injury induced by hypoxia-ischemia in neonatal rats, and these agents could be developed for clinical applications. / To investigate the effect of TPO, EPO and tanshinone IIA on in-vivo neural protection, a neonatal rat model of hypoxic-ischemic brain damage was established. Our results demonstrated significant and sustained brain injury in the hypoxic-ischemic and vehicle-treated group, measured by the reduction in relative weights of the ipsilateral (right) to the contralateral (left) brain at 1 and 3 weeks post-surgery, compared with those of sham-operated animals. At 3 weeks post-surgery, the hypoxic-ischemic animals had decreased cortical neuron density quantified by neuron-specific enolase (NSE) staining, and compromised sensorimotor functions in response to the postural reflex test. Treatment with TPO, EPO and tanshinone IIA significantly reduced the severity of brain injury, as indicated by the significantly increased ipsilateral brain weight and neuron density. Recoveries of sensorimotor functions (p < 0.05) and histopathology were also observed in animals that received TPO, EPO and tanshinone IIA. The plasma of tanshinone IIA-treated animals exhibited higher antioxidant activities (oxygen radical absorbance capacity assay) than those from vehicle-treated rats. / TPO and TPO receptor (c-mpl) mRNA was identified in human cerebral hemispheres, cerebellum, mouse neural progenitor cell line C17.2 and four neuroblastoma cell lines (SK-N-MC, MHH-NB-11, SK-N-AS and SH-SY-5Y) using RT-PCR methods. TPO proteins were detected in human cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and plasma by ELISA. Furthermore, TPO receptor c-mpl was confirmed in human cerebral hemispheres, hippocampus, cerebellum, brainstem and spinal cord using immunohistostaining. TPO had a stimulating effect on the growth of neural progenitor cell C17.2 in culture via the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway as demonstrated by Western blot. The anti-apoptotic effects of TPO, EPO on C17.2 cells were demonstrated by staining with Annexin-V and PI. EPO exerted a protective effect against SHSY-5Y cell damage induced by NMDA (N-methyl-d-aspartate), as demonstrated by the MTT and LDH assay. The anti-oxidative property of tanshinone IIA was studied in the C17.2 cell line. Tanshinone IIA increased the viability of these cells subjected to 2,2'-azobis (2-amidino propane hydrochloride) (AAPH)-induced oxidative stress. / by Xia Wen-Jie. / "May 2005." / Advisers: Kwok-Pui Fung, Tai-Fai Fok. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 67-01, Section: B, page: 0126. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references (p. 126-146). / Electronic reproduction. Hong Kong : Chinese University of Hong Kong, [2012] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Electronic reproduction. [Ann Arbor, MI] : ProQuest Information and Learning, [200-] System requirements: Adobe Acrobat Reader. Available via World Wide Web. / Abstracts in English and Chinese. / School code: 1307.

"December 2001." Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-225) Focuses on the ex vivo growth of human haemopoietic progenitor cells with the objective of defining culture conditions for generating myeloid post-progenitor cells for therapy

Copies of author's previously published articles inserted. / Includes bibliographical references. / vi, 135, [109] leaves, [23] leaves of plates : ill. (some col.) ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Studies the structure-function properties of the human cytokine, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) in order to generate molecules with novel biological properties. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Microbiology and Immunology, 1995

"December 2001." / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 178-225) / xviii, 225 leaves : ill. (some col.), plates, charts ; 30 cm. / Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library. / Focuses on the ex vivo growth of human haemopoietic progenitor cells with the objective of defining culture conditions for generating myeloid post-progenitor cells for therapy / Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Molecular Biosciences, 2001