The Protective Effect of Delta-Sleep Inducing Peptide Under Hypokinetic Conditions

Abstract

Delta-sleep inducing peptide (DSIP: Trp-Ala-Gly-Gly-Asp-Ala-Ser-Gly) has been shown to promote adaptation and prevent the injury of neuronal ultrastructure under conditions of generalized convulsive activity, hypoxia, cold stress and others. However, the mechanisms of such DSIP effects remain indefinite. At the same time there is ample evidence that the adaptational possibilities of organism are determined by the adequate relationships between informational and energetic processes in the central nervous system. The effectiveness of bio-energetic processes is determined by the state of mitochondrial membranes; the effectiveness of informational processes is determined by the state of sy-naptosomal membranes and myelin. Thus the neuroprotective effect of DSIP is supposed to be related to its modulating influence on the intensity of lipid peroxidation processes and the activity of proteolytic enzymes, because the role of above-mentioned processes in stress-reaction development and the regulation of structural-functional state of biomem-branes is well known. Therefore, the DSIP protective effect on the structure and functioning of neuronal membranes under hypokinesia was investigated by means of electron microscopy and biochemistry. Hypokinetic stress as an experimental model was used, because prophylaxis of harmful consequences of hypokinesia is a vital problem for modern urbanized society.