Expression of protective proteins and morphological changes in the rat brain after prolonged exposure to dust

Abstract

Introduction. The fundamental mechanisms of the body's pathological reaction to coal and dust exposure are hypoxia, excessive activation of free radical processes, structural and metabolic disorders in various organs. Organ-specific molecular defense mechanisms begin to function in the form of changes in the level of proteins with antihypoxic (HIF-3a), chaperone (HSP72), and antioxidant functions (HOx-1 - heme-oxygenase, Prx-1 - peroxiredoxin) under damaging effects. Its high level contributes to the restoration of cells' functional state or indicates significant damage in tissues. Hypoxia and free radical processes are known to lead to severe brain damage and behavioral disorders. To date, little is known about the expression of protective proteins and morphological changes in the brain under prolonged exposure to coal-rock dust on the body. The study aimed to learn the level of intracellular protective proteins HIF-3a, HSP72, HOx-1, Prx-1, and morphological changes in the brain in the dynamics of long-term dust exposure. Materials and methods. Sixty white male Wistar rats weighing 200-250 g of the same age took part in the experiment. Dust exposure was modeled by way of dynamic inhalation priming of rats with coal-rock dust (coal of a gas-fat brand) in an intermittent mode for 12 weeks. We perform morphological studies of the brain after 1, 3, 6, 9, and 12 weeks of dust exposure. The cytosolic fraction of brain tissue researchers determined the expression level of HIF-3a, HSP72, HOx-1, and Prx-1 by Western blot analysis. We selected the activity of free radical processes in the brain tissue. Results. Long-term exposure to coal-rock dust on the body at the morphological level in the brain revealed changes that indicate the development of hypoxia and activation of free radical processes: microvascular disorders, pericellular edema, severe dystrophic damage to neurons, focal loss of neurons, activation of glial cells. Activation of the protective proteins HIF-3a, HSP72, HOx-1, and Prx-1 in the early stages (1-3 weeks) of coal-dust exposure provided compensation for free radical processes in brain neurons. An increase in the duration of dust exposure of more than six weeks influences a low level of HSP72, but high HIF-3a and Prx-1, indicating an increase in hypoxic and free radical damage brain. Conclusions. The results obtained to expand the understanding of the morphological and molecular mechanisms that occur in the brain tissue during prolonged dust exposure to the body are essential for developing methods for organ-specific pharmacological correction.