title: Ghrelin ameliorates nerve growth factor Dysmetabolism and inflammation in STZ-induced diabetic rats.
abstract: Diabetic encephalopathy is characterized by cognitive impairment and neuroinflammation, deficient neurotrophic support, and neuronal and synaptic loss. Ghrelin, a 28 amino acid peptide, is associated with neuromodulation and cognitive improvement, which has been considered as a potential protective agent for several neurodegenerative diseases. Here we sought to investigate the role of ghrelin in preventing diabetic-related neuropathology. We found that ghrelin attenuated astrocytic activation and reduced levels of interleukin-6 and tumor necrosis factor-α in streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats. In addition, ghrelin inhibited p38 mitogen-associated protein kinase activation. The upregulation of nerve growth factor (NGF) precursor and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9 and downregulation of mature NGF and MMP-7 in the diabetic brain were reversed by ghrelin. Treatment with ghrelin elevated synaptophysin expression and synaptic density in diabetic rats. Taken together, our results demonstrate that ghrelin ameliorates diabetes-related neurodegeneration by preventing NGF dysmetabolism and synaptic degeneration through regulating MMP levels as well as inhibiting neuroinflammation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 YouYi Road, YuZhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China.
authors.forename: Yuxing
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhao
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 YouYi Road, YuZhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China.
authors.forename: Zhaoxing
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 YouYi Road, YuZhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China.
authors.forename: Dongling
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 YouYi Road, YuZhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China.
authors.forename: Huiqiong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Luo
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 YouYi Road, YuZhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China.
authors.forename: Jinliang
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 YouYi Road, YuZhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China.
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Geriatrics, the First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 YouYi Road, YuZhong District, Chongqing, 400016, China. xiaoqian1956@126.com.
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xiao
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology; D007249:Inflammation / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D018836:Inflammation Mediators / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D008297:Male; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley
chemical_list: D001786:Blood Glucose; D054439:Ghrelin; D018836:Inflammation Mediators; D020932:Nerve Growth Factor
keywords: Diabetes; Ghrelin; Inflammation; Nerve growth factor; Neurodegeneration