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ISSN 2522-9028 (Print)
ISSN 2522-9036 (Online)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/fz

Fiziologichnyi Zhurnal

is a scientific journal issued by the

Bogomoletz Institute of Physiology
National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine

Editor-in-chief: V.F. Sagach

The journal was founded in 1955 as
1955 – 1977 "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 0015 – 3311)
1978 – 1993 "Fiziologicheskii zhurnal" (ISSN 0201 – 8489)
1994 – 2016 "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 0201 – 8489)
2017 – "Fiziolohichnyi zhurnal" (ISSN 2522-9028)

Fiziol. Zh. 2025; 71(1): 38-43


Age - and sex-specific changes in astroglial glutamine synthetase activity in rats with neurodegenerative pathology

V.R. Khairova

    Academician Abdulla Garayev Institute of Physiology, Ministry of Science and Education of the Republic of Azerbaijan, Baku, Azerbaijan
DOI: https://doi.org/10.15407/fz71.01.038


Abstract

One of the trigger mechanisms for the development of neurodegeneration is glutamate excitotoxicity. The ATP-dependent enzyme glutamine synthetase, localized in astrocytes, regulates glutamate homeostasis by catalyzing the synthesis of glutamine from glutamate and ammonia. The purpose of the study was to identify age- and sex-specific changes in glutamine synthetase activity in a streptozotocin-induced model of Alzheimer-type neurodegeneration. The experiments were carried out on 60 old (at the age of 24 months) Wistar rats of both sexes, divided into groups: 1) control (intact) rats; 2) sham-operated rats; 3) rats with intraventricular injection of streptozotocin. using intraventricular injection of streptozotocin. In males, enzymatic activity decreased in the cortex, cerebellum, hippocampus, and hypothalamus by 40%, 33%, 36%, and 26%, respectively, compared with control rats. In females, the decrease was more pronounced, which amounted to 47% in the cortex, 39% in the cerebellum, 43% in the hippocampus, and 32% in the hypothalamus. Thus, the decrease in glutamine synthetase activity is due to age-dependent impairment of glutamate neurotransmission, reduced compensatory capabilities of neurons and altered hormonal status.

Keywords: old Wistar rats, neurodegeneration, glutamate excitotoxicity, glutamine synthetase.

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