Rapamycin alleviates hypothalamic injury in exertional heat stroke rats by activating mitophagy through the mTOR/Pink1/Parkin pathway.

ABSTRACT: Exertional heat stroke (EHS) causes severe central nervous system damage, with mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress playing major roles. Mitophagy, regulated by the Pink1/Parkin pathway, removes damaged mitochondria. Here, we investigated the potential of rapamycin (RAPA) to reduce hypothalamic injury in rats subjected to EHS. Forty healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to control, RAPA, EHS, and EHS + RAPA groups (10 rats each). Core temperatures were measured, and survival curves were generated. Hypothalamic tissue underwent hematoxylin-eosin and Nissl staining for histopathological assessment. Hypothalamic mitochondrial membrane potential, reactive oxygen species (ROS), and malonaldehyde (MDA) levels were measured. Western blotting assessed mammalian target o

SUBMITTER: Chi R 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12549842 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature