Dijabetes (Diabetes mellitus) je ozbiljna, za sada neizlječiva, kronična bolest koja je okarakterizirana hiperglikemijom kao i poremećajima u metabolizmu ugljikohidrata, masti i proteina. U zadnja dva desetljeća se drastično povećala incidencija ove bolesti, pretežito kod osoba starije dobne skupine, ali ne zaobilazi niti mlađu populaciju. Upravo zbog toga je sve više istraživanja usmjereno na razvoj novih, dostupnijih i učinkovitijih metoda terapijskog liječenja. U ovom diplomskom radu je ispitivan učinak rekombinantnog humanog eritropoetina (rhEPO) na ekspresiju i aktivnost SIRT1 proteina (engl. silent information regulator two protein 1), ekspresiju proBDNF i mBDNF proteina kao i na IkBα protein u parijatalnom korteksu i/ili hipokampusu štakora s eksperimentalnim dijabetesom. Hannover Wistar štakorima muškog spola je izazvan dijabetes primjenom pojedinačne injekcije streptozotocina (STZ). Dio životinja koje su razvile dijabetes primile su rhEPO (40 µg/kg tjelesne težine) (Diab/EPO) ili otapalo (Diab) četiri dana uzastopno. Kontrolnu skupinu sačinjavale su zdrave, netretirane životinje. Dobiveni rezultati pokazuju da je primjena rhEPO izazvala statistički značajan porast ekspresije SIRT1 proteina u mozgovima štakora s eksperimentalnim dijabetesom u korteksu i hipokampusu u usporedbi sa kontrolnom skupinom štakora i skupinom štakora tretiranih s otapalom (Diab). Zabilježen je i statistički značajan porast ekspresije proBDNF, ali ne i mBDNF proteina u parijetalnom korteksu životinja. Ekspresija proteina IkBα je porasla kod skupine životinja tretiranih s rhEPO, ali dobiveni podaci nisu statistički značajni., Diabetes mellitus is a serious, incurable, chronic disease characterised by hyperglycaemia and disorders in the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and proteins. The incidence of this disease has increased drastically over the past decades, mostly in the elderly, but it does not bypass the younger population. Therefore, more and more research is focused on the development of new, more accessible and more efficient ways of therapeutic treatment. The effect of recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) on expression and activity of SIRT1 protein (silent information regulator two protein 1), proBDNF and mBDNF protein expression as well as on IkBα protein in the pariatric cortex and/or hippocampus of rats with experimental diabetes were researched in this study. Diabetes mellitus in Hannover Wistar male rats was caused by single injection of streptozotocin (STZ). Some of the animals that developed diabetes mellitus received either rhEPO (40 µg/kg body weight) (Diab/EPO) or solvent (Diab) for four consecutive days. The control group consisted of healthy, untreated animals. The results showed that the use of rhEPO induced a statistically significant increase in SIRT1 protein expression in the brains of rats with experimental diabetes in the cortex and hippocampus compared to the control group of rats and the solvent treated group of rats (Diab). There was also a statistically significant increase in proBDNF expression, but not of mBDNF protein in the parietal cortex of animals. IkBα protein expression increased in the group of animals treated with rhEPO, but the data obtained are not statistically significant.