Ceruloplasmin Deficiency Reduces Levels of Iron and BDNF in the Cortex and Striatum of Young Mice and Increases Their Vulnerability to Stroke, RESEARCH ARTICLE 2011

"...Ceruloplasmin is a key regulator in iron metabolism and its loss has been shown to cause age-dependent iron dysregulation in humans and animal models [6], [33], [38]. We found that total iron levels in the cerebral cortex and striatum of young CpKO mice were significantly lower than WT mice. This iron deficit was concurrent with decreased levels of BDNF mRNA and protein. The extent of brain damage caused by MCAO reperfusion was significantly greater in the CpKO mice compared to WT mice, as a result of the expansion of the damage in the ischemic penumbra region of the cerebral cortex. These findings suggest that lack of Cp can cause a change in brain iron and BDNF levels, which normally play important roles in protecting neurons against ischemic brain injury..."

Full paper: http://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0025077