Objective To compare the pineal injury models prepared by three different methods, namely, parachlorophenylalanine, electrical stimulation stress and PCPA combined with electrical stimulation, and to evaluate the changes of pineal structure and function, so as to provide a basis for establishing pineal injury models with simple methods and short modeling time.
Methods Forty rats were randomly divided into blank control group, PCPA group, electric stimulation group and PCPA combined electric stimulation group after adaptive feeding for one week. Blank control group did not do any treatment; Rats in the PCPA group were intraperitoneally injected with PCPA 450 mg/kg for 2 days; The rats in the electrical stimulation group were stimulated with shuttle box (voltage 30 V, current 0.8 A, stimulation time 30 s, interval time 30 s, circulation 60 times) for 5 consecutive days; The rats in PCPA combined with electrical stimulation group were given PCPA on the 4th day of electrical stimulation, and the operation was the same as before. The behaviors of rats in each group, such as open field activity, elevated cross maze, and pentobarbital sodium synergetic sleep were tested. The serum melatonin (MT) level was detected by ELISA, and the pathological structure of pineal gland was observed under microscope.
Results The total distance and average speed of open field activities in the three experimental groups were significantly lower than those in the blank control group (P<0.01). The central area time of open field activities in the PCPA group and the PCPA combined electrical stimulation group was significantly longer than that in the blank control group (P<0.05) The time of PCPA combined with electrical stimulation entering the open arm was significantly longer than that of the blank control group (P ≤ 0.05). The sleep latency of PCPA group was significantly longer than that of the blank control group (p<0.05). The serum MT levels in the three experimental groups were significantly lower than those in the blank control group (P0.01). Histopathological changes; In PCPA group, the pineal cells were arranged disorderly, with pyknosis, decreased number and increased vacuolar degeneration; In the electric stimulation group, the pineal gland was disordered, the nucleus was pyknotic, the number of cells was slightly reduced, and the vacuolar degeneration was slightly increased; In the PCPA combined with electrical stimulation group, the pineal cells were arranged disorderly, the nucleus was pyknotic, the number was significantly reduced, and vacuolar degeneration was increased.
Conclusion The three different methods can cause different degrees of pineal injury in rats, which can provide reference for making different pineal injury models.