Research Information System
22. Ulusal Sinirbilim Kongresi, İstanbul, Turkey, 3 - 06 September 2024, pp.306-307
Objective: The aim was to investigate the relationship between the daily rhythm of the leptin hormone
and GnIH gene expression and protein levels in hamsters with SCN lesions under 16L and 8L
photoperiods.
Material and Method: Control and SCN lesioned of 96 adult male Syrian hamsters were used in the 16L
and 8L photoperiods. Each group was further divided into four subgroups based on the time of tissue and
blood sample collection. The activities of control and arrhythmic animals were recorded, and a doubleplot
actogram was made. After the 15-day experiment, leptin hormone rhythm was determined by ELISA,
GnIH neurons mRNA expression by qRT-PCR and protein levels by Western Blot method.
Results: The control serum leptin levels showed a circadian rhythm in the 16L and 8L photoperiods
(p<0.05). However, this rhythm was lost in the experimental groups (p>0.05). In the 16L photoperiod,
GnIH mRNA levels in the control group were lower during the dark phase, whereas in the experimental
groups, they were highest during the light phase (p<0.05). In the 8L photoperiod, a decrease in GnIH
mRNA levels was observed at midday in the control group, whereas there was a significant increase in the
experimental groups (p<0.05). The relative intensity was found to be inversely related in the control and
experimental groups at the same time period.
Conclusion: The determination of the daily rhythms of GnIH and their relationship with leptin hormone
in animals with SCN lesions, as well as the changes in GnIH values at different times of the day and in
different photoperiods, suggests that this hormone may be related to metabolism in addition to
reproduction. It appears that photoperiod influences GnIH expression in species like seasonally breeding
hamsters.
This study was supported by the Scientific Research Projects Coordination Unit of Çanakkale Onsekiz
Mart University (Project number: FDK-2021-3831).