The present study was oriented to gender specificity of Na,K-ATPase in cerebellum, the crucial enzyme maintaining the intracellular homeostasis of Na ions in healthy and diabetic Wistar rats. The effects of diabetes on properties of the Na,K-ATPase in cerebellum derived from normal and streptozotocin (STZ)-diabetic rats of both genders were investigated. The samples were excised at different time intervals of diabetes induced by STZ (65 mg kg-1) for 8 days and 16 weeks. In acute 8-day-lasting model of diabetes, Western blot analysis showed significant depression of α1 isoform of Na,K-ATPase in males only. On the other hand, concerning the activity, the enzyme seems to be resistant to the acute model of diabetes in both genders. Prolongation of diabetes to 16 weeks was followed by increasing the number of active molecules of Na,K-ATPase exclusively in females as indicated by enzyme kinetic studies. Gender specificity was observed also in nondiabetic animals revealing higher Na,K-ATPase activity in control males probably caused by higher number of active enzyme molecules as indicated by increased value of V max when comparing to control female group. This difference seems to be age dependent: at the age of 16 weeks, the V max value in females was higher by more than 90%, whereas at the age of 24 weeks, this difference amounted to only 28%. These data indicate that the properties of Na,K-ATPase in cerebellum, playing crucial role in maintaining the Na+ and K+ gradients, depend on gender, age, and duration of diabetic impact.
Keywords: Cerebellum; Enzyme kinetics; Gender difference; Sodium pump.