Ontogenetic variations of proteins in neurons of the lateral preoptic nucleus of rats' hypothalamus under a modified light regime.

Proteins can be key biochemical markers for evaluating the functional activity of nervous system cells. They are involved in the proliferation and differentiation of nerve and glial cells and the arrangement of many metabolic functions of the brain. This study aimed to analyze the concentration of proteins in the neurons of the lateral preoptic nucleus (LPON) of the hypothalamus in mature and old rats under standard and altered lighting conditions. Our results show that the concentration of proteins in mature rats was significantly higher than in old rats (0.274±0.0017 optical density units), with a predominance of carboxyl groups, indicating a high intensity of protein metabolism. Additionally, we found that changes in the lighting regime have a differential effect on the optical density of specific staining for protein in LPON neurons. Specifically, light deprivation did not significantly alter the optical density of specific staining for protein in neurons of the hypothalamus LPON of mature rats regardless of the period of the day, while in old rats, the intensity of protein staining decreased. Light exposure, on the other hand, led to an increase in the average color intensity for protein in neurons of the hypothalamus LPON in mature rats (0.326±0.0014 optical density units), while in old rats, a decrease in the average color intensity for protein in neurons of the hypothalamus LPON was observed (0.196±0.0017 optical density units).

Pharmacological Treatments and Natural Biocompounds in Weight Management.

The obesity pandemic is one of society's most urgent public health concerns. One-third of the global adult population may fall under obese or overweight by 2025, suggesting a rising demand for medical care and an exorbitant cost of healthcare expenditure in the coming years. Generally, the treatment strategy for obese patients is largely patient-centric and needs dietary, behavioral, pharmacological, and sometimes even surgical interventions. Given that obesity cases are rising in adults and children and lifestyle modifications have failed to produce the desired results, the need for medical therapy adjunct to lifestyle modifications is vital for better managing obesity. Most existing or past drugs for obesity treatment target satiety or monoamine pathways and induce a feeling of fullness in patients, while drugs such as orlistat are targeted against intestinal lipases. However, many medications targeted against neurotransmitters showed adverse events in patients, thus being withdrawn from the market. Alternatively, the combination of some drugs has been successfully tested in obesity management. However, the demand for novel, safer, and more efficacious pharmaceutical medicines for weight management does exist. The present review elucidates the current understanding of the available anti-obesity medicines of synthetic and natural origin, their main mechanisms of action, and the shortcomings associated with current weight management drugs.

Morphohistochemical alterations of neurons of the supraoptic nucleus of the rat hypothalamus at different durations of the photoperiod and melatonin administration.

We studied the morphologic and histochemical organization of neurons of the hypothalamic supraoptic nucleus in rats exposed to different durations of photoperiod and injection of melatonin. Morphometric and histochemical analyses of neurons were performed after staining brain histological sections for RNA. Prolonged illumination leads to more pronounced changes in the parameters of hypothalamic structures at 2 a.m. than at 2 p.m., particularly decreasing the concentration of RNA in the cell nuclei. The use of exogenous melatonin does not normalize the revealed changes in the parameters of the studied structures of the neurons of the supraoptic nucleus of the hypothalamus caused by the prolonged stay of rats under conditions of constant illumination.

Peculiarities of morphological changes of endotheliocytes and remodeling of the arteries under the experimental hypercholesterolemia.

OBJECTIVE: Introduction: Under the conditions of experimental hypercholesterolemia, endothelial dysfunction develops with the morphological marker which is an increase in the number of blood-circulating desquamated endothelial cells (DEC), but this situation needs to be clarified in the development of this pathology in the age aspect. The aim: To find out the features of remodeling of endothelial cells and arteries of the hind limbs in the rats of pre-repopductive and reproductive age with experimental hypercholesterolemia. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Materials and methods: The experimental group consisted of 16 animals with biochemically confirmed hypercholesterolemia, which were divided into 2 groups: group 1 - 8 animals, aged 2-3 months, weighing 150-170 grams and group 2 - 8 rats aged from 11 to 11 months weighing 230-250 gram. The control group consisted of rats of the same age of 8 animals in each. RESULTS: Results: Hypercholesterolemia causes damage to the vascular endothelium of the arteries, which is characterized by an increase in the number of desquamated endothelial cells in the peripheral blood. The most circulating blood in desquamated endothelial cells was detected in 45 days of study in animals of reproductive age, where the number of desquamated endothelial cells increased by 2.56 times, and in animals of pre-reproductive age - 2.35 times. Morphological changes were characterized by thickening of the intima of the arteries of the femur, knee and tibia due to swelling of the endothelial cells, their desquamation and proliferative changes in places of preserved vascular endothelium. In response to the deposition of lipids and PAS-positive substrates, cellular reactions appeared as weak lymphocytic infiltration. In addition to hyperlastosis, fragmentation of elastic fibers was revealed. Correlation of intima contributed to the narrowing of vascular lumen. Lipids, xanthoma cells and sour mucopolysaccharides were accumulated in the inner membrane of the arteries. In addition to lymphocytic infiltrates, the amount of collagen fibers in adventitia increased. CONCLUSION: Conclusions: Under conditions of hypercholesterolemia the number of desquamated endothelial cells in the blood increases, and arterial remodeling is characterized by manifestations of hypertrophic-neoplastic remodeling in rats of pre-reproductive age, and in reproductive animals there were sclerotic and inflammatory changes.