Avaliação da funcionalidade da glândula pineal e a modulação dos genes relógio em ratos tratados cronicamente com dexametasona

• Ano de defesa: 2013
• Autor(a) principal: Santos, Daniela Meneses
• Orientador(a): Fioretto, Emerson Ticona
• Tipo de documento: Dissertação
• Tipo de acesso: Acesso aberto
• Idioma: por
• Instituição de defesa: Universidade Federal de Sergipe
• Programa de Pós-Graduação: Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde
• País: BR
• Palavras-chave em Português: Genes relógio; Glicocorticoides; Resistência à ação da insulina; Melatonina; Glândula pineal
• Palavras-chave em Inglês: Clock genes; Glucocorticoids; Insulin resistance; Melatonin; Pineal gland
• Área do conhecimento CNPq: CNPQ::CIENCIAS DA SAUDE
• Link de acesso: https://ri.ufs.br/handle/riufs/3692

Melatonin is hormone regulated by the light/dark cycle. It is considered to be a signaling pathway of the circadian clock located in the hypothalamic suprachiasmatic nucleus. Melatonin also regulates functions involving the energetic and behavioral metabolism of mammals. However, the melatonin synthesis can suffer influence from other hormones, like insulin and other glucocorticoids, in pathological conditions and stress. Studies have shown that glucocorticoids seem to modulate clock genes in peripheral tissues leading to metabolic diseases. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the functionality of the pineal gland and clock genes modulation in rats treated chronically with dexamethasone. Male Wistar rats (200-250g) were divided in to two groups: Control (CON) and Dexamethasone-treated (DEX). Animals from DEX group had 2mg/kg body weigh of dexamethasone administered intraperitoneally for 10 consecutive days and control animals received equal volume of saline solution also intraperitoneally. The circadian profile of blood glucose was evaluated and presented increased points of hyperglycemia during the night (p<0,05). The animals were sacrificed at each time point and had their pineal gland and plasma collected. The obtained data demonstrate a significant hyperinsulinemia in DEX animals (p<0,05). The findings show a reduction in the melationin content (p<0,05) associated with a decrease in the enzymatic activity of AANAT (p<0,05). Also, in these points, DEX animals presented a reduction in the glucose transporter (Glut1) in the pineal gland and insulin receptor (Insr) (p<0,05). The levels of mRNA of the clock genes Bmal1, Per1, Per2, Cry1, Cry2 and Rev-erbα in the isolated pineal glands demonstrated an increase in the gene expression (p<0,05). These results suggest that chronic treatment with dexamethasone is capable of modulating melatonin synthesis, as well as the clock genes. This evidence also suggests the possible presence of a responsive element to the functional glucocorticoid in the promoter region of these genes in the pineal gland.