Ischemic Preconditioning by Caspase Cleavage of Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase-1

A transient, sublethal ischemic interval confers resistance to a subsequent, otherwise lethal ischemic insult, in a process termed ischemic preconditioning. Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) normally functions in DNA repair, but extensive PARP-1 activation is a major cause of ischemic cell death. Because PARP-1 can be cleaved and inactivated by caspases, we investigated the possibility that caspase cleavage of PARP-1 could contribute to ischemic preconditioning. Murine cortical cultures were treated with glucose deprivation combined with 0.5 mm 2-deoxyglucose and 5 mm azide (“chemical ischemia”) to model the reversible energy failure that occurs during transient ischemia in vivo . Cortical cultures preconditioned with 15 min of chemical ischemia showed increased resistance to subsequent, longer periods of chemical ischemia. These cultures were also more resistant to the PARP-1 activating agent, N -methyl- N ′-nitro- N -nitrosoguanidine, suggesting reduced capacity for PARP-1 activation after preconditioning. Immunostaining for the 89 kDa PARP-1 cleavage fragment and for poly(ADP-ribose) formation confirmed that PARP-1 was cleaved and PARP-1 activity was attenuated in the preconditioned neurons. Preconditioning also produced an increase in activated caspase-3 peptide and an increase in caspase-3 activity in the cortical cultures. A cause-effect relationship between caspase activation, PARP-1 cleavage, and ischemic preconditioning was supported by studies using the caspase inhibitor Ac-Asp-Glu-Val-Asp-aldehyde (DEVD-CHO). Cultures treated with DEVD-CHO after preconditioning showed reduced PARP-1 cleavage and reduced resistance to subsequent ischemia. These findings suggest a novel interaction between the caspase- and PARP-1-mediated cell death pathways in which sublethal caspase activation leads to PARP-1 cleavage, thereby increasing resistance to subsequent ischemic stress.