TRANSFECTION-MEDIATED EXPRESSION OF HUMAN HSP70I PROTECTS RAT DORSAL-ROOT GANGLION NEURONS AND GLIA FROM SEVERE HEAT-STRESS

Considerable evidence suggests that the expression of heat shock prote ins prior to a toxic insult (e.g. ischaemia, excitoxins, heat) can con fer protection to neurones and glia. It is not certain which hsp(s) ar e involved in conveying these neuroprotective effects. Here we show th at calcium phosphate-mediated transfection of dorsal root ganglia with an EF-1alpha promoter-hsp70i expression vector significantly increase d the survival of neurones and glia exposed to a severe heat stress. T hese data suggest that overexpression of hsp70i plays an important rol e in protecting neurones and glia from the denaturing effects of sever e thermal stress. Inducing the expression of specific hsps may lead to the development of novel treatment strategies for CNS diseases.