Oxidative stress in the cerebellum of pinealectomized rats and its correlation with GFAP expression

Year 2025, Volume: 8 Issue: 2, 338 - 344, 21.03.2025

Feyza Başak , Mehmet Demir , Tansu Kuşat , Sarab Hayder Weli Weli

https://doi.org/10.32322/jhsm.1624240

Abstract

Aims: This study aims to investigate the results of the lack of melatonin in the cerebellar tissue of pinealectomized Wistar albino rats using immunohistochemistry and biochemistry.
Methods: Control, pinealectomy, and sham pinealectomy groups were designed for the experiment (n=8). Pinealectomy and sham pinealectomy surgery were employed. At the end of 30 days, cerebellum tissue was used for histopathological, glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) immunostaining, and biochemical (oxidative stress markers) analyses. Purkinje cell counts and cerebellar layer thickness in the cerebellum were also measured within the scope of histometrical analyses.
Results: The study revealed that melatonin deficiency (pinealectomy) adversely impacts the overall histological structure of the cerebellum, leading to heightened immunoreactivity to GFAP antibody, elevated malondialdehyde levels, and reduced glutathione and superoxide dismutase levels in comparison to control and sham pinealectomy groups (p<0.05). This study has, for the first time, elucidated the amounts of oxidants and antioxidants, GFAP immunoreactivity, Purkinje cell counts, and cerebellar layers thicknesses in the cerebellum of a pinealectomized rat model. This study is the inaugural investigation to elucidate the association between melatonin and the cerebellum, a topic hitherto overlooked in the literature, thereby establishing a significant foundation.
Conclusion: Lack of melatonin can be a reason for neurodegeneration and oxidative stress in the cerebellum. Pinealectomy surgery was found to be a reason for the elevation of oxidative stress, deterioration of the histological architecture, and increase of GFAP expression in the cerebellar tissue of the Wistar albino rats.

Keywords

Cerebellum, GFAP, oxidative stress, pinealectomy

Ethical Statement

Approval from the Karabük University Faculty of Medicine Experimental Animals Local Ethics Committee for Animal Experiments was secured for the study (decision number 2024/12/32) and conducted following its requirements.

Pinealektomize sıçanların serebellumundaki oksidatif stres ve GFAP ekspresyonu ile korelasyonu

Abstract

Amaçlar: Bu çalışmanın amacı, Wistar albino sıçanlarının serebellar dokusunda melatonin eksikliğinin (Pinealektomi) sonuçlarını immünohistokimya ve biyokimya kullanarak araştırmaktır.
Gereçler ve Yöntemler: Deney için kontrol, pinealektomi ve sham pinealektomi grupları tasarlandı (n=8). Pinealektomi ve sham pinealektomi ameliyatı yapıldı. 30 günün sonunda, serebellum dokusu histopatolojik, Glial Fibriller Asidik Protein immünoboyama ve biyokimyasal (oksidatif stres belirteçleri) analizler için kullanıldı. Ayrıca, serebellumdaki Purkinje hücre sayıları ve serebellar tabaka kalınlığı histometrik analizler kapsamında ölçüldü.
Sonuçlar: Çalışma, melatonin eksikliğinin (pinealektomi) serebellumun genel histolojik yapısını olumsuz yönde etkileyerek Glial Fibriller Asidik Protein antikoruna karşı artan immünoreaktiviteye, yüksek malondialdehit seviyelerine ve kontrol ve sahte pinealektomi gruplarına kıyasla azalmış glutatyon ve süperoksit dismutaz seviyelerine yol açtığını ortaya koydu (P˂ 0,05). Bu çalışma, ilk kez, pinealektomize edilmiş bir sıçan modelinin serebellumundaki oksidan ve antioksidan miktarlarını, GFAP immünoreaktivitesini, Purkinje hücre sayılarını ve serebellar tabaka kalınlığını açıklığa kavuşturdu. Bu çalışma, literatürde bugüne kadar göz ardı edilmiş bir konu olan melatonin ve serebellum arasındaki ilişkiyi açıklamak için yapılan ilk araştırmadır ve böylece önemli bir temel oluşturmuştur.
Sonuç: Melatonin eksikliği, serebellumda nörodejenerasyon ve oksidatif stresin bir nedenidir.

Keywords

beyincik, GFAP, oksidatif stres, pinealektomi

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