ASTROCYTIC REACTION OF THE RAT BRAIN DURING THE PROGRESSION OF GLIAL TUMORS

Background. The study of the heterogeneity and plasticity of astrocytes in the brain, in particular in the peritumoral zone, at different stages of neoplasm growth will help to understand their importance in the progression of glial tumors. Aim. To perform morphometric assessment of astrocytes in the rodent brain during glial tumor progression. Material and methods. Glial brain tumor was modeled in rodents using implantation of glioma C6 cells followed by immunohistochemical assessment of GFAP+-astrocytes in the peritumoral zone in the right hemisphere and a similar zone of the left hemisphere of the rodent brain at different experimental periods. Results. In the early stages of glial tumor growth, there was a statistically significant predominance of cell density and a difference in the morphometric parameters of astrocyte cells in the peritumoral zone of the right hemisphere of the rat brain compared with a similar zone of the left hemisphere. The progression of the glial tumor was accompanied by a significant decrease in the cell density of astrocytes in the peritumoral zone with an increase in reactive changes of astrocytes in a similar zone of the contralateral hemisphere. Conclusions. The development of tumor processes in the brain of rodents is accompanied by activation of astrocytes with the acquisition of a reactive phenotype by cells in the peritumoral zone. At the same time, further progression of the neoplasm suppresses active proliferation of astrocytes.