Effect of stress induced changes in neuropeptide Y on antioxidant status.

Abstract

In chronic stress, release of catecholamines, adrenocorticoids and pituitary hormones result impaired release of neuromodulator - neuropeptide Y. The deregulated neuropeptide Y results imbalanced redox homeostasis reduced endogenous superoxide dismutase and raised malondialdehyde. Objectives: To find the effect of chronic stress on plasma neuropeptide Y, superoxide dismutase, and malondialdehyde levels. Study Design: Quasi-experimental. Setting: Al-Nafees Medical College & Hospital in collaboration with National Institute of Health, Islamabad. Period: January 2016 to December 2016. Material & Methods: After approval from institutional review board, thirty healthy male Sprague Dawley rats were included in the study and were divided equally into group I (control) and group II (restraint stress). The animals were housed in stainless steel cages, at humidity (40-60%), temperature (22 ± 2°C) and a 12-h light-dark cycle with lights on at 0700 am. After adaptation, group II was exposed to restraint stress of 6 hours daily for 28 days. The blood sampling for plasma neuropeptide Y, serum superoxide dismutase and malondialdehyde levels were taken. Results: There was significant decline in neuropeptide Y plasma and superoxide dismutase serum levels while an increase in malondialdehyde levels serum levels was noticed in restraint stress group. Conclusions: Chronic stress induces decrease in plasma NPY with subsequent increase in serum malondialdehyde and decrease in superoxide dismutase levels.