Title:The Protective Role of L-carnitine on Psychosocial Stress-induced Changes
in Gene Expression and Protein Levels of Matrix Metalloproteinases,
Serum Corticosterone in a Rat Model
Volume: 22
Issue: 10
Author(s): Suzie Y. Rababa’h, Karem H. Alzoubi*, Hana Hammad, Laiali AlQuraan and Abeer M. Rababa’h
Affiliation:
- Department of Pharmacy
Practice and Pharmacotherapeutics, University of Sharjah, Sharjah, UAE
- Department of Clinical Pharmacy, Jordan
University of Science and Technology, Irbid 22110, Jordan
Keywords:
Psychosocial stress, L-carnitine, Gene, expression, Metalloproteinases, corticosterone, Hippocampus.
Abstract:
Background: Psychosocial stress (STS) is a common stress in modern societies. Chronic
STS is associated with the impairment of a broad range of cognitive functions in humans and with prolonged
abnormalities in memory. Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), a protein family of zinccontaining
endopeptidases, are essential in neuro-inflammation and involved in neurodegenerative diseases.
L-Car possessed neuroprotective, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties and was shown
to modulate MMPs.
Objective: The current study aimed to examine the protective effect of L-Carnitine (L-CAR) on STSinduced
changes in serum corticosterone levels, MMP-2, -9, and -12 protein and mRNA expression in
the hippocampus as a possible mechanism for L-CAR protective effect on STS-induced memory impairment.
Methods: The chronic STS and L-CAR (300 mg/kg/day, i.p) were simultaneously administered for 6
weeks to adult male Wistar rats. Serum corticosterone and protein levels of MMP-2, -9 and -12 were
evaluated using ELISA. Real-Time PCR techniques were used to determine the mRNA levels of
MMP-2, -9 and -12 in the hippocampus.
Results: The findings showed that serum corticosterone levels and MMP-2 and -9 protein levels were
significantly increased (p<0.05) in the STS group compared to the control. Similarly, RT-PCR findings
showed that the mRNA of those proteinases significantly increased (p<0.05) following the intruder
method. On the other hand, the administration of L-CAR restored the alterations in corticosterone
levels and MMPs gene and protein expression induced by chronic STS.
Conclusion: STS induced elevations in corticosterone and MMP-2 and -9 levels in the hippocampus.
L-CAR, on the other hand, exhibited protective effects against the STS-induced changes in MMP-2
and -9.
