Changes in Histological Features, Apoptosis and Necroptosis, and Inflammatory Status in the Livers and Kidneys of Young and Adult Rats

Year 2024, Volume: 83 Issue: 1, 85 - 96, 30.05.2024

Emine Rümeysa Hekimoğlu , Mukaddes Eşrefoğlu , Birsen Elibol , Seda Kırmızıkan

https://doi.org/10.26650/EurJBiol.2024.1471005

Abstract

Objective: Aging entails a gradual rise in low-grade inflammation affected by cellular degeneration and death. Inflammaging refers to the chronic, low-grade inflammation that occurs alongside the aging process. This study attempts to evaluate the hepatic and renal histological changes, apoptosis and necroptosis rates, and inflammaging status of 6-week-old and 10-month-old rats.
Materials and Methods: This study uses 12 male rats separated into two groups: Young Group (6-week-old rats; n = 6), and Adult Group (10-month-old rats; n = 6). Animals were sacrificed under anesthesia. The rats’ livers and kidneys were removed, and each organ tissue was divided into two parts: one for the microscopic examination (H&E and TUNEL immunohistochemistry) and the other for biochemical determination (tumor necrosis factor-alpha [TNF-α], nuclear factor-kappa beta [NF-𝜅B], interleukin1-Beta [IL-1β], IL6, receptor-interacting serine/threonine protein kinase [RIP], and RIP3).
Results: The histological features of the livers and kidneys of the 6-week-old rats were consistent with healthy mammalian organ features, while some histological changes were detected in sections of the 10-month-old rats. The apoptosis rate indicated by TUNEL immunohistochemistry was seen to have increased in the 10-month-old rats, while the necroptosis rate indicated by RIP3 Western-blotting analysis was conversely determined to have decreased. Significant increases in TNF-α and NF-𝜅B levels were consistent with the increased apoptosis rate in the 10-month-old rats compared to the 6-week-old rats.
Conclusion: One of the striking results of this study is that the degenerative changes related to aging began to be seen even in 10-month-old rats. The researchers used healthy rats of this age as control subjects as well as to create experimental models.

Keywords

Apoptosis, Necroptosis, Young rats, Adult rats, Liver, Kidney

Ethical Statement

The Animal Care and Experiment Committee of Bezmialem Vakif University, School of Medicine approved the animal care and research procedure (No: 2024/10).

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