Intermittent hypoxia stimulates formation of binuclear neurons in brain cortex- a role of cell fusion in neuroprotection?

Oligodendrocyte fusion with neurons in the brain cortex is a part of normal ontogenesis and is a possible means of neuroregeneration. Following such fusion, the oligodendrocyte nucleus undergoes neuron-specific reprogramming, resulting in the formation of binuclear neurons, which doubles the functional capability of the neuron. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that the formation of binuclear neurons is involved in long-term adaptation of the brain to intermittent hypobaric hypoxia, which is known to be neuroprotective. Rats were adapted to hypoxia in an altitude chamber at a simulated altitude of 4000 m above sea level for 14 days (30 min increasing to 4 h, daily). One micrometer sections of the left motor cortex were analyzed by light microscopy. Phases of the fusion and reprogramming process were recorded, and the number of binuclear neurons was counted for all section areas containing pyramidal neurons of layers III-V. For the control group subjected to sham hypoxia, the density of binuclear neurons was 4.49 +/- 0.32 mm(2). In the hypoxia-adapted group, this density increased to 5.71 +/- 0.39 mm(2) (P < 0.04). In a subgroup of rats exposed to only one hypoxia session, the number of binuclear neurons did not differ from the number observed in the control group. We suggest that the increased content of binuclear neurons may serve as a structural basis for the neuroprotective effects of the adaptation to hypoxia.