LE3 .A278 2009

2009

Wilson, Brian

Acadia University

Bachelor of Science

Honours

Biology

Biology

Relaxins are a family of peptide hormones belonging to the insulin superfamily of peptides. Past research on relaxin has characterized it as a pregnancy hormone but recent data suggests that it serves a variety of roles in mammalian physiology. For example, evidence from several labs suggests that relaxin plays a role in protecting the brain, heart, pancreas, and spleen during periods of ischemia. The current study tested if relaxin affected apoptotic activity in brain slices that were exposed to an ischemic challenge. Organotypic cultures of neonatal rat brain slices were exposed to one of four treatments: balanced salt solution (BSS), BSS with relaxin, deoxygenated glucose-free BSS, and deoxygenated glucose-free BSS with relaxin. Slices were embedded in paraffin wax and 10 μm coronal sections were mounted on slides and run through a TUNEL staining protocol. TUNEL staining was observed in neurons and glial cells in slices from all experimental groups. However, staining was not robust enough to quantify apoptosis in brain slices. This project studies the effects of relaxins on neurons and glial cells exposed to ischemic stress and sets the stage for future studies on apoptosis in organotypic brain slice cultures.

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