Stress affects multiple organs in the body in addition to the brain including the liver. We aimed to assess the effects of blocking N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) glutamate receptors by memantine on the liver in acute and repeated restraint stress. Forty two male albino rats divided into seven groups; control, Acute restraint stress (ARS), ARS+memantine, repeated restraint stress, repeated restraint +memantine and positive control groups. We measured serum iron, zinc, alanine transferase and Aspartame transferase, hepatic malondialdehyde, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), glutathione peroxidase, Superoxide dismutase, metallothionein content, zinc transporter ZRT/IRT-like Protein 14 mRNA expression, hepcidin expression. We had a histopathological evaluation by histological staining and immunostaining for glial fibrillary acidic protein and synaptophysin expression as markers of hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation. Both ARS and repeated stress increased markers of hepatic cell injury, oxidative stress, and HSCs activation. Blocking NMDA by Memantine offered hepatoprotective effect in acute and repeated restraint stress and decreased hepatic cell injury, oxidative stress, and HSCs activation.
KEYWORDS:Acute stress repeated stress, Restraint, liver, memantine In the current study, we explored the effects of acute and repeated restraint stress on the liver and the impact of blocking NMDA receptors by the memantine (the uncompetitive NMDA receptor antagonist) on the markers of hepatocellular injury, oxidative stress, and hepatic stellate cells (HSCs) activation.
-METHODS:
I-Experimental Animals:The experimental procedures, animal handling, sampling, and scarification were done according to the Guide for the care and use of laboratory animals, Eighth Edition (2011)
B) Determination of liver functionsSerum ALT and AST were determined enzymatically using commercially available kits (Bioclin, Santa Coloma, Spain).
C) Measurement of MDATissue MDA was determined using the thiobarbituric acid reactive substance assay, according to Wills (1987).Briefly; a tissue specimen of 0.1 g was homogenized in 0.15 mol KCl at a ratio of 1-9 ml with a glass homogeniser. One volume of homogenate was mixed with two volumes of a stock solution of 20% w/v trichloroacetic acid, 0.375% w/v thiobarbituric acid and 0.25 mol hydrochloric acid. The solution was heated for 15 min in a boiling water bath. After cooling, the precipitate was removed by centrifugation at 1000 g for 10 min.The absorbance of the clear supernatant was determined at 535 nm and MDA concentration calculated using the standard curve. The cDNA was synthesized from 1 µg RNA using SuperScript III First-Strand Synthesis System as described in the manufacturer's protocol (Invitrogen, Life Technologies). In brief, one µg of total RNA mixed with 50 µM oligo (dT)20, 50 ng/µL random primers, and ten mM dNTP mix in a total volume of 10 µL. The mixture incubated at 56 °C for 5 min, then placed on ice for 3 min. The reverse transcriptase master mix containing 2 µL of 10× RT buffer, ...