Caloric restriction increases hippocampal glutamate uptake and glutamine synthetase activity in Wistar rats.
Recent studies indicate that caloric restriction (CR) protects the central nervous system from several pathological conditions. The impairment of astroglial cell function, including glutamate uptake, glutamine synthetase (GS) activity and S100B secretion, may contribute to the progression of neurological disorders. The present study aimed to evaluate hippocampal astrocytic changes in response to CR diet, measuring astroglial parameters, such as glutamate uptake, GS activity and the immunocontent of GFAP and S100B. Blood biochemical parameters were also analyzed. Rats (60-day old) were fed ad libitum or on CR diets for 12 weeks. CR-fed rats showed approximately 16% less body weight gain than control rats. The CR diet was able to induce a significant increase in glutamate uptake (23%) and in GS activity (26%). There were no statistically significant differences in the immunocontent of either GFAP or S100B. In summary, the present study indicates that CR also modulates astrocyte functions by increasing glutamate uptake and GS activity, suggesting that CR might exert its neuroprotective effects against brain illness by modulation of astrocytic functions.
Programa de Pós-Graduação em Neurociências, Instituto de Ciências Básicas da Saúde, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil.
Letícia Carina
LC
Ribeiro
André
A
Quincozes-Santos
Marina Concli
MC
Leite
Renata Torres
RT
Abib
Juliana
J
Kleinkauf-Rocha
Regina
R
Biasibetti
Liane Nanci
LN
Rotta
Susana T
ST
Wofchuk
Marcos Luiz Santos
ML
Perry
Carlos-Alberto
CA
Gonçalves
Carmem
C
Gottfried
D000818:Animals; D001253:Astrocytes / Q000378:metabolism; D001835:Body Weight; D031204:Caloric Restriction; D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / Q000096:biosynthesis; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase / Q000378:metabolism*; D018698:Glutamic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood; D015854:Up-Regulation; D014508:Urea / Q000097:blood
D005904:Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein; D009414:Nerve Growth Factors; D064568:S100 Calcium Binding Protein beta Subunit; D009418:S100 Proteins; C579158:S100b protein, rat; D018698:Glutamic Acid; D014508:Urea; D005974:Glutamate-Ammonia Ligase