Apigenin Improves Ovarian Dysfunction Induced by 4-Vinylcyclohexene Diepoxide via the AKT/FOXO3a Pathway

Perimenopausal syndrome is a significant issue that disturbs women's metabolism, mood and quality of life. Apigenin (4',5,7-trihydroxyflavone) is a natural flavonoid that exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer effects. The present study aims to investigate the effect of apigenin on perimenopausal syndrome by combining bioinformatics analysis with in vivo experiments. The mouse model with perimenopausal syndrome was established using 4-vinylcyclohexene diepoxide (VCD) treatment. Apigenin alleviated VCD-induced disorder of estrous cycle and shrinkage of ovarian tissue. The reduction of anti-Muller hormone and the increase of follicle stimulation hormone and luteinizing hormone triggered by VCD were reversed by apigenin in a dose-dependent manner. Apigenin suppressed the VCD-induced decrease of primordial, primary, secondary and antral follicle number in ovarian tissue. Oxidative stress in ovarian tissue was activated by VCD treatment through increasing the reactive oxygen species production. High concentration of apigenin significantly reversed the alteration induced by VCD. Apigenin alleviated VCD-induced cell apoptosis through regulating Bax, Bcl-2, cleaved PARP1 and caspase-3. Furthermore, the phosphorylation of AKT and FOXO3a was inhibited by VCD and activated by apigenin in a dose-dependent manner. Collectively, apigenin effectively mitigates the ovarian dysfunction through suppressing oxidative stress and apoptosis via the AKT/FOXO3a signaling pathway.

Functional state of glutathione system in menopausal women of the Buryat ethnic group with insomnia

   The aim of the study was to assess the functional state of glutathione system in menopausal women of the Buryat ethnic group with insomnia.   Methods. The study involved 94 women aged 45 to 60 years who were divided into perimenopause (n = 44) and postmenopause (n = 50) groups. In each period, a control group and an insomniac group were identified. The reduced (GSH) and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione levels in erythrocyte lysate, the glutathione-S-transferase π concentration and glutathione reductase activity in blood serum were determined.   Results. An increase of the GSH level (p < 0.05) and GSH/GSSG ratio (p < 0.05) both in perimenopausal and postmenopausal women with insomnia were found as compared to controls. There were no differences in the glutathione-depends enzymes parameters. Comparative analysis of the main groups showed an increase GSH/GSSG ratio (p < 0.05) in the postmenopausal period compared with perimenopause.   Conclusion. The study results demonstrate the glutathione link activation in Buryat menopausal women with insomnia. In this regard, the appointment of glutathione preparations for the correction of free radical homeostasis in these groups of women cannot be recommended.

[Deletion polymorphism of GSTT1 gene and lipid peroxidation hyperactivation in menopausal insomnia]

OBJECTIVE

A comparative analysis of the parameters of lipid peroxidation - antioxidant defense system in menopausal women with- and without insomnia, depending on the GSTT1 polymorphism.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 181 menopausal Caucasian women (ethnic group - Russians), who according to the results of the clinical-anamnestic examinations were divided into insomnia group (n=120, age 53.68±4.61 years, body mass index 26.47±3.73 kg/m²) and control group (n=61, age 52.64±4.91 years, body mass index 27.69±3.11 kg/m²). The insomnia group was formed according to the clinical guidelines for the diagnosis and treatment of chronic insomnia in adults, and scores of the Insomnia Severity Index. The study of the GSTT1 gene polymorphism was carried out using polymerase chain reaction. The lipid peroxidation - antioxidant system parameters were determined by spectrofluorophotometric methods.

RESULTS

In the insomnia group, carriers of the normal GSTT1 genotype had higher diene conjugates with lower glutathione peroxidase activity as compared to controls. When comparing groups of women with the deletion in GSTT1, an increase in the content of substrates and lipid peroxidation products was observed at all stages of lipid peroxidation, oxidized glutathione, glutathione S-transferase activity with a decrease in the content of reduced glutathione and retinol in the insomnia group as compared to controls. In the insomnia group, carriers of the deletion genotype had a higher content of ketodienes/conjugated trienes and active products of thiobarbituric acid, a lower content of retinol and α-tocopherol as compared to the patients with normal GSTT1 genotype. Conclusions. Insomnia in the menopausal women is accompanied with the intensification of lipid peroxidation only in the carriers of the GSTT1 deletion genotype.

Levels of Advanced Oxidation Protein Products in Blood Plasma of Peri- and Postmenopausal Women with Insomnia

Background. Insomnia occurs in more than half of menopausal women. These disorders can contribute to a change in the prooxidant-antioxidant balance, causing the damage to structural cellular elements. Currently, there is a lack of research on this issue.

Aim. To carry out a comparative analysis of the level of advanced oxidation protein products in in periand postmenopausal women with insomnia.

Materials and methods. The study included peri(n = 30) and postmenopausal (n = 60) women, who were divided into 2 groups (control and main groups) in each menopausal phase after being questioned using special sleep questionnaires: Insomnia Severity Index; Epworth Sleepiness Scale; Munich Chronotype Questionnaire. The advanced oxidation protein products (AOPP) levels was determined by immunoenzymatic assay using ImmunDiagnostik (German) kits on a BioTek EL×808 (USA) analyzer. Statistical analysis was performed using Mann – Whitney test.

Results. Comparative analysis of the AOPP levels in control groups, depending on the menopausal periods, showed an increase in their levels in the postmenopausal period as compared to perimenopause (p < 0.05). When comparing the AOPP levels between the control and the main group in different menopausal periods, statistically significant differences were revealed only in the perimenopausal period towards a higher content in women with insomnia (p < 0.05). The presence of insomnia in postmenopausal women is accompanied by a higher AOPP levels as compared to the perimenopausal women (p < 0.05).

Conclusion. The obtained results indicate the association between insomnia and oxidative proteins modification only in the perimenopausal period.

Acupuncture: A Promising Approach for Comorbid Depression and Insomnia in Perimenopause

Comorbid depression and insomnia are ubiquitous mental complaints among women going through the perimenopausal stage of life and can result in major decline in quality of life. Antidepressive agents combined with/without hypnotics, and/or hormone therapy are currently the most common treatment for perimenopausal depression (PMD) and insomnia (PMI). Balancing the benefits of these pharmacotherapies against the risk of adverse events (AEs) is a difficult task for both clinicians and women. There has been a growing body of research regarding the utilization of acupuncture for treatment of PMD or PMI, whereas no studies of acupuncture for comorbid PMD and PMI have appeared. In this review, we summarize the clinical and preclinical evidence of acupuncture as a treatment for PMD or PMI, and then discuss the potential mechanisms involved and the role of acupuncture in helping women during this transition. Most clinical trials indicate that acupuncture ameliorates not only PMD/PMI but also climacteric symptoms with minimal AEs. It also regulates serum hormone levels. The reliability of trials is however limited due to methodological flaws in most studies. Rodent studies suggest that acupuncture prolongs total sleep time and reduces depression-like behavior in PMI and PMD models, respectively. These effects are possibly mediated through multiple mechanisms of action, including modulating sex hormones, neurotransmitters, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis/hypothalamic-pituitary-ovary axis, oxidative stress, signaling pathways, and other cellular events. In conclusion, acupuncture is a promising therapeutic strategy for comorbid depression and insomnia during perimenopause. Neuroendocrine modulation is likely to play a major role in mediating those effects. High-quality trials are required to further validate acupuncture's effectiveness.

Free Radical Oxidation and Sleep Disorders in Andro- and Menopause (Literature Review)

This review presents data on changes in the physiology of sleep during reproductive aging. It is noted that insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) are the main sleep disorders. The results of foreign and domestic studies in the field of free radical oxidation during sleep deprivation in animal models are presented, indicating the dependence of processes on the duration of sleep deprivation. The largest number of studies of free radical processes in a person with somnological pathology was carried out in the study of OSAS. Blood, urine, saliva, condensate of exhaled air can be biomaterial for determining the parameters of free radical oxidation. It was shown that the intensity of oxidative stress depends on the severity of OSAS, as evidenced by the positive correlation of the level of active products of thiobarbituric acid, the products of oxidation of proteins and carbonyl groups with the apnea/hypopnea index, determining the development of not only oxidative, but also carbonyl stress in patients with a severe degree OSAS. Biomarkers such as thioredoxin, malondialdehyde, superoxide dismutase, and reduced iron have shown a more stable relationship between increased oxidative stress and OSA. Despite the results obtained, the question of the association of oxidative stress and hypoxia in OSA remains debatable, which is associated with the opposite results of some studies. Insomnia, which occurs mainly in females, is accompanied by a high level of end products of lipid peroxidation with a decrease in the activity of antioxidants such as paraoxonase, an enzymatic component of the glutathione system. Along with this, menopausal women present low levels of uric acid, which correlates with high scores of the Pittsburgh sleep quality index questionnaire. Recent studies have identified an association between the activity of the «lipoperoxidation – antioxidants» system and the Clock 3111T/C gene polymorphism in menopausal Caucasian women, indicating the protective role of the minor allele.

[Lipid status and oxidative stress in menopausal women with obstructive apnea syndrome]

AIM

to assess lipid profile, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant system parameters in peri - and postmenopausal women with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

37 perimenopausal women and 43 postmenopausal ones were examined. OSAS diagnosis was made on the basis of the clinical picture and the polysomnography results. In perimenopause, the main group consisted of 18 women, in postmenopausal women - 17. All comparison groups are comparable by age and body mass index. Lipid profile, lipid peroxidation and antioxidant system parameters by spectrophotometric methods were determined. Non - parametric criteria were used to analyze the group differences for the independent samples.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The increase of total cholesterol (TC) and low - density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels were observed in perimenopausal women with OSAS as compared to control. The increase of TC, triacylglycerol (TG), LDL-C, very - low - density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL-C) levels and decrease of high - density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-D) level were found in postmenopausal women with OSAS as compared to control. Accumulation of ketodienes and conjugated trienes in perimenopausal women with OSAS and thiobarbituric acid reactants with a decrease of total antioxidant activity of blood serum in postmenopausal women with OSAS as compared to control was observed. Moreover, postmenopausal women with OSAS have a higher lipid peroxidation substrates and diene conjugates levels with a lower α-tocopherol level and total antioxidant activity compared with perimenopausal patients.The integral indicator of oxidative stress assessment indicates an imbalance in the lipid peroxidation and antioxidant system in menopausal women with OSAS.

CONCLUSION

The results obtained indicate a violation of lipid metabolism and the development of oxidative stress in patients with OSAS. This is most pronounced in the postmenopause due to the aggravation of the pathological condition.

Performance of Metabolic Parameters in Formation of Sleep Disorders in Menopausal Women

Background. It is known that menopausal women suffer from sleep disorders. As additional diagnostic methods, it is possible to use the equations of linear classification functions.

Aim: to determine the most informative parameters among the lipid profile, the “lipid peroxidation – antioxidant protection” system parameters and the melatonin secretion chronobiological rhythms in menopausal women with sleep disorders.

Materials and methods. 56 perimenopausal women and 70 postmenopausal ones in accordance with the inclusion criteria participated in this study. Diagnoses of insomnia and obstructive sleep apnea syndrome were made according to the results of specialized somnological questionnaires and polysomnographic monitoring. Spectrophotometric methods for studying of lipid metabolism and the “lipid peroxidation – antioxidant protection” system parameters, an enzyme immunoassay method for determining melatonin were also used. A multidimensional discriminant analysis to reveal the most informative parameters among the parameters studied was used.

Results. The most informative indicators of the metabolic system for sleep disorders in perimenopausal women with insomnia are melatonin 06.00–07.00 h, melatonin 18.00–19.00 h, melatonin 23.00–00.00 h, ketodienes and conjugated trienes, oxidized glutathione; with insomnia and OSAS – melatonin 06.00–07.00 h, melatonin 12.00–13.00 h, melatonin 23.00–00.00 h, substrates with conjugated double bonds, total cholesterol; in postmenopausal women with insomnia – diene conjugates, α-tocopherol, total antioxidant capacity, active products of thiobarbituric acid, reduced glutathione; with insomnia and OSAS – total antioxidant capacity, α-tocopherol, substrates with conjugated double bonds.

Conclusions. The results obtained indicate a great strain in the antioxidant protection system in menopausal women with sleep disorders in response to changes in free radical homeostasis.

SZSJ protects against insomnia by a decrease in ADMA level and an improvement in DDAH production in sleep-deprived rats

AIMS

Recent investigations have shown that dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase (DDAH) may be related to sleep disorder. The present study was conducted to test the hypnotic effect of jujubosides from Semen Ziziphi Spinosae (SZSJ) on sleep deprivation and the mechanisms involved.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Forty rats were randomly divided into 4 groups (n = 10): two groups of sleep-deprived rats treated with SZSJ (10 or 30 mg/kg per day), sleep-deprived rats group, and control group. At the end of experiment, cerebral DDAH expression, cerebral asymmetric dimethylarginine (ADMA) level, sleep parameters, behavioral activities, and cerebral neurotransmitters level brain was examined.

KEY FINDINGS

Six days after treatment, SZSJ treatment up-regulated cerebral expression of DDAH I and DDAH II concomitantly with elevated parameters of total sleep time, cerebral γ‑aminobutyric acid and 5‑hydroxytryptamine, and reduced values of forelimb lifting-up frequency and walking time, cerebral 8-isoprostane, ADMA, noradrenaline, and glutamic acid in sleep deprivation of rats.

SIGNIFICANCE

The present results suggest that SZSJ Protects against insomnia by a decrease in ADMA level and an improvement in DDAH production in sleep-deprived rats.