[Phytoecdysteroids influence on the hormonal status and apoptosis in growing rats]

The impact of the 15-day consumption of Serratula coronata extract containing phytoecdysteroids on some indicators of hormonal status and activity of apoptosis in various organs of growing male Wistar rats (initial body weight 127.8 +/-2.5 sigma) has been studied. The extract from the leaves of Serratula coronata was added to the water of animals of experimental groups 2 and 3 (n = 8 in each group) daily at the dose of 5 and 15 mg phytoecdysteroids per kg of body weight respectively. Animals of the control group 1 (n = 8) received water alone throughout the experiment. Daily volume of drunk fluid was recorded. At the 15th day of the experiment animals were taken out using the decapitation under the light ether anesthesia. The content of corticosterone, prostaglandin E2 and beta-endorphin in rat blood plasma were determined by ELISA test. Plasma level of noradrenaline was determined by HPLC. DNA damage and percentage of apoptotic cells (apoptotic index) were measured in isolated cells of the thymus, heart and brain by single-cell gel electrophoresis (the comet assay). Significantly lower concentration of norepinephrine was detected in plasma of experimental animals from groups 2 and 3 (10.3 +/- 1.1 and 7.2 +/- 0.8 ng/ml, respectively) compared to the same index in the control group (20.4 +/- 3.4 ng/ml). Significant differences of other biochemical parameters for all groups of animals have not been identified. Statistical significant difference in the ratio of corticosterone/norepinephrine compared with control animals was detected for a group of rats consumed the highest dose of phytoecdysteroids. There was no statistically significant difference in DNA fragmentation and apoptosis index in animals consumed phytoecdysteroids in compare with the control group of animals. The absence of the activity of apoptosis in cells of the heart, brain and thymus of rats treated with phytoecdysteroid extract may indicate the safety of its use in the diet of the animals.