[Parallel analysis of c-Fos protein and interleukin-2 expression in hypothalamic cells under different influence].

Rossiiskii fiziologicheskii zhurnal imeni I.M. Sechenova2007PMID: 17461018

Animal StudyEpitalon

Plain Language Summary

This study examined how Epitalon and the peptide Vilon affect stress-response and immune proteins in the rat hypothalamus. Both peptides altered the numbers of cells producing interleukin-2 and the activation marker c-Fos in hypothalamic structures, with the effects depending on the route of administration and whether animals had adapted to stress.

Abstract

The objective of this work was to perform a parallel analysis of activation of the rat anterior hypothalamus cells as judged by c-Fos protein expression, and of the expression of interleukin-2 (IL-2) under different influences, i. e., mild stress (handling) and adaptation to it, and intranasal administration of saline and the peptides Vilon (Lys-Glu) and Epithalon (Ala-Glu-Asp-Gly). Changes in the counts of cells positive for c-Fos- and IL-2 proteins were studied in structures of the lateral (LHA) area, anterior (AHN), supraoptic (SO) and paraventricular (PVH) nuclei of Wistar rat hypothalamus. Quantity of the interleukin-2-positive and c-Fos-positive cells was calculated. The findings were: a negative correlation between the activation of cells and the amount of IL-2 in the cells in the hypothalamic structures under study, and the specific patterns of changes in the counts of cells positive for c-Fos and IL-2 under stress and adaptation to stress.

Authors

Barabanova, S V; Artiukhina, Z E; Ovchinnikova, K T; Abramova, T V; Kazakova, T B; Khavinson, V Kh; Malinin, V V; Korneva, E A