| Abstrakt: |
Background and objectives: Visceral adipocytes, typically larger and more pro-inflammatory than subcutaneous adipocytes, are less sensitive to insulin action and more susceptible to apoptosis. Melatonin is an anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and temporal cue to several tissues, including adipose tissue. The modern lifestyle often involves irregular sleep-wake cycles, exposure to artificial light at night, and shift work, all of which suppress nocturnal melatonin secretion and could disrupt adipose tissue homeostasis. This study aimed to examine the effect of pinealectomy on the temporal expression of core clock components and apoptosis-related transcripts and proteins in rat retroperitoneal (RP) adipose tissue. Methods: In silico analysis predicted putative binding sites of core clock components for Caspase genes. Eighty male Wistar rats were divided into either Sham-operated or Pinealectomized groups. Four weeks post-surgery, the animals were euthanized every 4 h over 24 h, and the RP tissue was processed for qRT-qPCR and ELISA. Results: The expression of apoptosis-related genes exhibited circadian rhythmicity in control animals. Pinealectomy resulted in a loss of Fas rhythmicity, altered the cosinor parameters of Bax, Bcl2, Casp3, and Casp9 expression, and increased the protein content of BAX, BCL2, CASP3, and CASP8 in the late dark phase. Conclusion: Our findings underscore the importance of melatonin in the daily regulation of apoptosis in RP fat. These results have far-reaching implications, suggesting that melatonin suppression due to a desynchronized modern lifestyle might contribute to the development of obesity and metabolic syndrome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
