[Effects of endurance training and detraining on serum BDNF and memory performance in middle aged males with metabolic syndrome]

The aim of present study was to evaluate the effects of aerobic training and detraining periods on metabolic risk factors, BDNF and memory function. Forty-two middle-aged, sedentary males volunteers were randomly divided into four groups; MetS Exercise [ME], MetS Control [MC], Healthy Exercise [HE] and Healthy Controls [HC]. Both the ME and HE groups participated in an exercise training [AT] program [6 weeks], followed by 6 weeks of detraining [DT]. Midterm and Digit Span memory tests and blood sampling were conducted before and after training and also following detraining. Data were analyzed using Pearson coefficient, multivariate ANOVA and ANCOVA and repeated measure. Most of the metabolic risk factors significantly improved after AT in the ME group; waist circumference and FBS however returned to baseline values following DT [P<0.05]. Waist circumference and triglycerides in the HE group decreased significantly, but returned to baseline values after DT [P<0.05]. Aerobic exercise training could ameliorate overall MetS Z scores in both the ME and HE, groups, effects that disappeared in the ME group, even following DT [P<0.05]. Serum BDNF was significantly elevated in HE, but surprisingly decreased in ME, effects that both disappeared after DT [P<0.05]. Only in HE, both the short-term and mid-term memory improved significantly after AT [P<0.05]. These findings indicate that physical fitness training programs ameliorate metabolic risk factors and improve learning and memory ability

effect of ovariectomy and estrogen replacement on body weight and visceral adipose tissue in rats

Estrogen deficiency is associated with unfavorable changes in body composition and abdominal fat deposition. The consequences of these changes lead to metabolic abnormalities and differential fat distribution Seventy female Wistar rats [weight: 170.73 +/- 15.82gr mean +/- SD] were divided into 7 groups: Intact [one group],sham [two groups], ovariectomized [two groups], ovariectomized, receiving estradiol valerate[one group] and ovariectomized, receiving sesame oil [one group]. The intact rats were anesthetized and visceral fat was then taken from the abdominal cavity and weighed immediately. Two weeks after operation, one group of ovariectomized rats and one group of sham rats were sacrified and visceral fat was measured. The estradiol receiving ovariectomized group and vehicle group were given equal volumes of 17 beta-estradiol[30 micro g/kg, sc, 5 d/wk] and sesame oil for 8 weeks, respectively. After 8 weeks, all animals were sacrificied and intra- abdominal fat depots were dissected and weighed. Data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA and post-hoc and using paired t test. The differences were considered significant at P < 0.05. After two weeks of surgery, the ovariectomized rats showed insignificant increase in body weight and visceral fat weight, whereas, after eight weeks, body weight increased significantly in ovariectomized rats [P < 0.05]. Estradiol replacement decreased body weight and visceral fat weight, however this decrease was only significant in body weight [P < 0.05]. The results indicate that estrogen deficiency following ovariectomy leads to increase in both body weight and visceral fat, showing that replacement of this hormone could decrease body weight without affecting visceral fat

[Pentylentetrazol-induced seizure induces immediate early gene C-fos in rat brain]

Introduction: One of the most important subjects in modern biology is to explain the molecular mechanisms by which an organism adapts in response to environmental signals. In this area, the protooncogene c- fos is widely used as a useful marker for tracing stimuli in the nervous system. It is considered as a general transcription factor, which can regulate expression of related target genes

Objective: The purpose of this research was to study the brain structures involved in seizure using c-fos expression mapping

Materials and Methods: In this study, we used pentylentetrazole 65 mg/kg, i.p, as a kindling inducing drug and approximately two hours after the drug usage, immunohistochemical analysis was performed using immunoperoxidase staining with c-fos antibody, ABC kit and DAB

Results: Results showed a dramatic and specific induction of c-fos in the nuclei of neurons in dentate gyrus, hippocampus, somatosensory cortex and limbic system

Conclusion: It is possible that FOS, a nuclear protein binding to the regulatory part of some target genes such as proenkephaline which is widely released after seizure can contributes to neural plasticity. Therefore, finding the relationship of FOS with target genes in forming appropriate response in nervous systems plasticity is of great importance