ESSENTIAL HEAVY METALS STATUS IN THE BRAIN OF STRESSED RATS
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1
Sultan My Slimane University, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Life Sciences, Morocco
GABAA receptors are ligand-gated ion channels, mediating fast synaptic inhibition in the central nervous system (CNS). They are the targets of a variety of pharmacologically and clinically important drugs such as benzodiaezpines, depressant barbiturates and hypnotic steroids. Beside these major modulators, some metal cations inhibited the GABA response of neurons in a variety of organisms. Among them zinc and at a lesser extent iron, have been reported to be the most potent. GABAA receptors have been shown to increase in density following the application of acute stress. Furthermore, their modulation has been reported to be altered. These alterations in density and modulation have been explained by an alteration of the content of these endogenous modulators. For this, we aim to exam in the present investigation the concentrations of Zn2+ and Fe2+ in the brains of stressed rats and compare them to unstressed animals, to assess eventual
differences. GABAA receptors level in several stress-sensitive areas investigated for the assessment of endogenous heavy metals following acute immobilization stress. The mean concentrations of Zn2+ are significantly decreased in whole cerebral cortex, whereas they are not changed in the whole brainstem. It seems that the forebrain structures were relatively highly sensitive to stress effect, principally hippocampus Interestingly, the topography of these alterations correlates well with the stress sensitive brain areas we reported previously. Taken together, these results support the alteration of the modulatory function occurring at the GABAA receptor level induced by stress. The concentration of the heavy metals investigated is not sufficient to modulate with efficacy the GABAA receptor. This could explain the higher densities of GABAA receptors observed after acute stress. Indeed, the concentrations are not still sufficient to inhibit with efficacy these receptors.
Acknowledgements
Neuromed FP7, TWAS 2005
Keywords:
Stress, Psychological,
Zinc,
Iron,
GABA Modulators,
gaba receptor
Conference:
4th Conference of the Mediterrarnean Neuroscience Society, Istanbul, Türkiye, 30 Sep - 3 Oct, 2012.
Presentation Type:
Full Publication
Topic:
Abstracts
Citation:
Zarouk
K,
El Ouahli
M,
Er-raoui
G,
El Manja
K,
Najimi
M and
Chigr
F
(2013). ESSENTIAL HEAVY METALS STATUS IN THE BRAIN OF STRESSED RATS.
Conference Abstract:
4th Conference of the Mediterrarnean Neuroscience Society.
doi: 10.3389/conf.fnhum.2013.210.00075
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Received:
31 Mar 2013;
Published Online:
11 Apr 2013.
*
Correspondence:
Prof. Mohamed Najimi, Sultan My Slimane University, Faculty of Sciences and Techniques, Life Sciences, Beni Mellal, 23000, Morocco, mnajimi1@fstbm.ac.ma