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Acta Physiologica 2009; Volume 197, Supplement 675
Joint meeting of The Slovenian Physiological Society, The Austrian Physiological Society and The Federation of European Physiological Societies
11/12/2009-11/15/2009
Ljubljana, Slovenia
AGE-RELATED INFLAMMATORY PROCESSES IN HIPPOCAMPUS OF MALE RATS. BENEFICIAL ACTIONS OF MELATONIN AND GROWTH HORMONE
Abstract number: P178
Kireev1 R.A., Rial3 R., Ariznavarreta1 C., Vara2 E., Tresguerres1 J.A.F.
1Department Physiology;
2Department Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Medical School, University Complutense of Madrid;
3Laboratory of Physiology, University Islas Baleares, Palma de Mallorca, Spain
During normal aging levels of melatonin and growth hormone (GH) decreases and brain suffers both morphological and functional modifications. Markers of chronic inflammation and oxidative damage increase in CNS with age.
Twenty-four male Wistar rats of 22 months of age were divided into three groups. One group remained untreated and acted as the control group. The second was treated with growth hormone (GH) (2 mg/kg/d sc) and the third was submitted to treatment with 1 mg/kg/d of melatonin in the drinking water. A group of 2-months-old male rats was used as young controls. After 10 wk of treatment the rats were killed by decapitation and hippocampus was collected. The level of TNFa, IL1b, IL6 and HSP70 were analysed by ELISA. The protein expressions of TNFa, IL1b, nNOS, iNOS, HO-1 and BVR were study by Western blot. The expression of TNFa, IL1b, nNOS, iNOS, HO-1, NFkB genes were detected by RT-PCR.
The level of TNFa, IL-1b and IL-6 and expressions of mRNA pro-inflammatory cytokines and NFkB were significantly elevated during ageing and these results were correlated with increasing also of proteins expression. The level of HSP 70 significantly decreased in hippocampus of old males as compared to young controls. Aging induced also a significant elevation in the expression of HO-1 and iNOS proteins and genes. On the contrary nNOS was decreased. Melatonin decreased the level all pro-inflammatory cytokines whereas, GH significantly decreased TNFa and IL6 level, but did not affect IL-1b level. Administration of melatonin decreased the mRNA and protein expression of HO-1 and increased protein expression of BVR, but this was not the case in those treated with GH. However, a significant increase in expression of nNOS and decreased iNOS was observed after both treatments. HSP70 was increased after hormonal treatments and GH was shown more marked effect.
These results suggest that aging in hippocampus is associated with an increase in pro-inflammatory substances, increased expression of NFkB genes and decreased of nNOS. Melatonin and GH treatments are capable to reducing inflammatory markers.
This work was supported by grants: RETICEF RD 06/0013 (FIS) Instituto Carlos III and SAF 2007, 66878-C02-01.
To cite this abstract, please use the following information:
Acta Physiologica 2009; Volume 197, Supplement 675 :P178