S. Porta, Michael Moser, K. Pichlkastner, M. Bratu, Harald Stossier, M. Walzl, K. Kisters, S. Opresnik, Inés Baeck
The impact of a given amount of stress hormone upon about 12 different metabolic markers like blood gases, buffers, glucose, lactate and electrolytes shows a comprehensive pattern in a characteristic stress situation, fingerprinting both individual idiosyncrasies and the peculiar qualities of a certain stressful situation. According to HPLC data, norepinephrine correlates linearly and significantly with the mentioned stress hormone effects, underlining the feasibility of taking stress hormone effects for stress-diagnostic purposes rather than catecholamines themselves. Stress hormone effects – especially their correlative relations to each other – can also serve as prognostic tools, whereby effort and even performance in sports can be deduced from anticipatory arousal. Also, need of regeneration after a trial can be calculated from pre-challenge arousal. Even several days after a first parachute jump the personal feeling of success, of having been able to overcome the challenge efficaciously, correlates with the pre-challenge pCO 2 . However, the beneficial values of this “future building capacity”, that enables us to be nearly automatically prepared for future challenges, can be misused by unduly protracting such sympatho-adrenal anticipatory situations due to nonstop submaximal workload. Tissue oxygen depletion in oxygen– demanding situations is one of the resulting noxae. Determination of stress hormone effects furthermore allows educated guesses to distinguish, whether glucose irregularities, e.g. in metabolic syndrome, can be traced back to stressful situations or to the illness proper.
{"title":"Differential Diagnoses and Prognoses of Stress-Induced Metabolic Changes by Stress Hormone Effects – A Synopsis of Our Recent Publications","authors":"S. Porta, Michael Moser, K. Pichlkastner, M. Bratu, Harald Stossier, M. Walzl, K. Kisters, S. Opresnik, Inés Baeck","doi":"10.18311/JER/2017/21026","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18311/JER/2017/21026","url":null,"abstract":"The impact of a given amount of stress hormone upon about 12 different metabolic markers like blood gases, buffers, glucose, lactate and electrolytes shows a comprehensive pattern in a characteristic stress situation, fingerprinting both individual idiosyncrasies and the peculiar qualities of a certain stressful situation. According to HPLC data, norepinephrine correlates linearly and significantly with the mentioned stress hormone effects, underlining the feasibility of taking stress hormone effects for stress-diagnostic purposes rather than catecholamines themselves. Stress hormone effects – especially their correlative relations to each other – can also serve as prognostic tools, whereby effort and even performance in sports can be deduced from anticipatory arousal. Also, need of regeneration after a trial can be calculated from pre-challenge arousal. Even several days after a first parachute jump the personal feeling of success, of having been able to overcome the challenge efficaciously, correlates with the pre-challenge pCO 2 . However, the beneficial values of this “future building capacity”, that enables us to be nearly automatically prepared for future challenges, can be misused by unduly protracting such sympatho-adrenal anticipatory situations due to nonstop submaximal workload. Tissue oxygen depletion in oxygen– demanding situations is one of the resulting noxae. Determination of stress hormone effects furthermore allows educated guesses to distinguish, whether glucose irregularities, e.g. in metabolic syndrome, can be traced back to stressful situations or to the illness proper.","PeriodicalId":15664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Endocrinology and Reproduction","volume":"5 1","pages":"15-26"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90253569","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
B. M. Reddy, M. Reddy, V. R. Yenuganti, G. Reddy, P. Reddanna
Purification and Characterization of LTC 4 Synthase from Sheep UterusPurification and Characterization of LTC 4 Synthase from Sheep UterusEicosanoids, the oxygenated metabolites of eicosapolyenoic fatty acids such as arachidonic acid via the cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX) and epoxygenase (EPOX) pathways, are generated in response to specific stimuli, elicit the response and are then quickly metabolized. Hence, these are rightly termed as “local hormones” or “autocoids”. They are involved in the regulation of a variety of physiological as well as pathological processes, including reproduction. While there are extensive studies on the role of COX metabolites, such as prostaglandins, in reproduction, not much is known on the role of LOX metabolites in reproduction. Earlier, we have identified abundant LOX activity in sheep uterus and the highly purified enzyme was found to be a homo-dimeric protein with a molecular weight of 66 kDa. When incubated with arachidonic acid, the enzyme showed two lipoxygenase activities producing both 12- and 15-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HPETEs) at the optimum pH of 5.5. The relative concentration of 12- and 15-HPETEs, however, changed with the pH of the reaction, 12-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) being higher in the alkaline range and 15-HETE being the abundant in the acidic range. Furthermore, the enzyme showed the dual lipoxygenase based 14,15-LTA 4 synthase activity as evidenced by the formation of 8,15-diHETEs, the hydrolysis products of 14,15-LTA 4 . In the present study, leukotriene C 4 synthase (LTC 4 S) enzyme was purified on Q-Sepharose column after solubilization of microsomes utilizing a combination of CHAPS and taurocholate. The purified enzyme showed activity with 5, 6-LTA 4 and 14, 15-LTA 4 , with slight preference towards the latter, and converting them to corresponding LTC 4 s. Both methyl esters and free acids of LTA 4 served as substrates, though the activity was more with methyl esters. However, the enzyme showed no activity with I-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), the conventional substrate of glutathione S-transferases. Western blot analysis of sheep uterine microsomal proteins with LTC 4 synthase specific-peptide as well as whole protein antibodies showed strong cross reactivity with two closely migrating 70 kDa proteins. While showing similarity with the known LTC 4 synthases, sheep uterine LTC 4 synthase thus appears to be quite different in terms of molecular weight, as most LTC 4 synthases reported are 18 kDa proteins. In view of its association with the microsomal membranes and involvement in eicosanoid and glutathione metabolism, sheep uterine LTC 4 synthase may form a member of MAPEG (Membrane Associated Proteins in Eicosanoid and Glutathione metabolism) superfamily.
{"title":"Purification and Characterization of LTC 4 Synthase from Sheep Uterus","authors":"B. M. Reddy, M. Reddy, V. R. Yenuganti, G. Reddy, P. Reddanna","doi":"10.18311/JER/2017/21065","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18311/JER/2017/21065","url":null,"abstract":"Purification and Characterization of LTC 4 Synthase from Sheep UterusPurification and Characterization of LTC 4 Synthase from Sheep UterusEicosanoids, the oxygenated metabolites of eicosapolyenoic fatty acids such as arachidonic acid via the cyclooxygenase (COX), lipoxygenase (LOX) and epoxygenase (EPOX) pathways, are generated in response to specific stimuli, elicit the response and are then quickly metabolized. Hence, these are rightly termed as “local hormones” or “autocoids”. They are involved in the regulation of a variety of physiological as well as pathological processes, including reproduction. While there are extensive studies on the role of COX metabolites, such as prostaglandins, in reproduction, not much is known on the role of LOX metabolites in reproduction. Earlier, we have identified abundant LOX activity in sheep uterus and the highly purified enzyme was found to be a homo-dimeric protein with a molecular weight of 66 kDa. When incubated with arachidonic acid, the enzyme showed two lipoxygenase activities producing both 12- and 15-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (15-HPETEs) at the optimum pH of 5.5. The relative concentration of 12- and 15-HPETEs, however, changed with the pH of the reaction, 12-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) being higher in the alkaline range and 15-HETE being the abundant in the acidic range. Furthermore, the enzyme showed the dual lipoxygenase based 14,15-LTA 4 synthase activity as evidenced by the formation of 8,15-diHETEs, the hydrolysis products of 14,15-LTA 4 . In the present study, leukotriene C 4 synthase (LTC 4 S) enzyme was purified on Q-Sepharose column after solubilization of microsomes utilizing a combination of CHAPS and taurocholate. The purified enzyme showed activity with 5, 6-LTA 4 and 14, 15-LTA 4 , with slight preference towards the latter, and converting them to corresponding LTC 4 s. Both methyl esters and free acids of LTA 4 served as substrates, though the activity was more with methyl esters. However, the enzyme showed no activity with I-chloro-2, 4-dinitrobenzene (CDNB), the conventional substrate of glutathione S-transferases. Western blot analysis of sheep uterine microsomal proteins with LTC 4 synthase specific-peptide as well as whole protein antibodies showed strong cross reactivity with two closely migrating 70 kDa proteins. While showing similarity with the known LTC 4 synthases, sheep uterine LTC 4 synthase thus appears to be quite different in terms of molecular weight, as most LTC 4 synthases reported are 18 kDa proteins. In view of its association with the microsomal membranes and involvement in eicosanoid and glutathione metabolism, sheep uterine LTC 4 synthase may form a member of MAPEG (Membrane Associated Proteins in Eicosanoid and Glutathione metabolism) superfamily.","PeriodicalId":15664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Endocrinology and Reproduction","volume":"70 1","pages":"35-42"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90293093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The human body has developed a defence system to prevent the accumulation of endogenous (bile acids, steroids, cholesterol metabolites, neurotransmitters, etc.) as well as exogenous (xenobiotics, clinical drugs, etc.) small molecules at toxic levels. This task is accomplished by ‘drug metabolism and disposition (DMD) machinery’ which entails phase I and phase II enzymes, and phase III transporter proteins. The components of this machinery act in a coordinated manner to biotransform and facilitate the elimination of small toxic molecules from the cellular milieu. Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, acts as one of the major transcriptional regulators of the DMD machinery. Prescription of combination therapy is a common regimen during the treatment of diverse metabolic disorders and infectious diseases. In such combination therapies one drug may modulate the expression of genes of DMD, influencing the metabolism of another co-administered drug. This leads to decreased bioavailability or increased toxicity of the latter. Evaluation of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) has now become a major safety concern during drug discovery and development processes. Pre-assessment of the small molecules for modulatory effects on CAR and induction of the components of DMD can resolve the safety concerns, treatment failures and drug withdrawals due to the harmful DDIs. In the present study, we have followed a ‘reverse approach’ to assess CAR activation by drugs previously withdrawn from clinical practices. We selected three redundant members of thiazolidinedione family of anti-diabetic drugs and examined their potential in regulation of CAR and its target gene CYP2B6. These drugs showed differential transcriptional activation of CAR. Two of the TZD i.e., rosiglitazone and pioglitazone enhanced CAR activity by behaving as receptor ligands while the other (troglitazone) did not influence the receptor function and was justly withdrawn since it inflicted cytotoxicity.
{"title":"Thiazolidinedione Class of Anti-Diabetic Drugs Modulate Nuclear Receptor CAR Function","authors":"Shashi Singh, R. Tyagi","doi":"10.18311/JER/2017/20188","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18311/JER/2017/20188","url":null,"abstract":"The human body has developed a defence system to prevent the accumulation of endogenous (bile acids, steroids, cholesterol metabolites, neurotransmitters, etc.) as well as exogenous (xenobiotics, clinical drugs, etc.) small molecules at toxic levels. This task is accomplished by ‘drug metabolism and disposition (DMD) machinery’ which entails phase I and phase II enzymes, and phase III transporter proteins. The components of this machinery act in a coordinated manner to biotransform and facilitate the elimination of small toxic molecules from the cellular milieu. Constitutive androstane receptor (CAR), a member of the nuclear receptor superfamily, acts as one of the major transcriptional regulators of the DMD machinery. Prescription of combination therapy is a common regimen during the treatment of diverse metabolic disorders and infectious diseases. In such combination therapies one drug may modulate the expression of genes of DMD, influencing the metabolism of another co-administered drug. This leads to decreased bioavailability or increased toxicity of the latter. Evaluation of drug-drug interactions (DDIs) has now become a major safety concern during drug discovery and development processes. Pre-assessment of the small molecules for modulatory effects on CAR and induction of the components of DMD can resolve the safety concerns, treatment failures and drug withdrawals due to the harmful DDIs. In the present study, we have followed a ‘reverse approach’ to assess CAR activation by drugs previously withdrawn from clinical practices. We selected three redundant members of thiazolidinedione family of anti-diabetic drugs and examined their potential in regulation of CAR and its target gene CYP2B6. These drugs showed differential transcriptional activation of CAR. Two of the TZD i.e., rosiglitazone and pioglitazone enhanced CAR activity by behaving as receptor ligands while the other (troglitazone) did not influence the receptor function and was justly withdrawn since it inflicted cytotoxicity.","PeriodicalId":15664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Endocrinology and Reproduction","volume":"37 1","pages":"27-34"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-06-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81712008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-05-30DOI: 10.18519/JER/2016/V20/149827
Z. A. Khan, R. K. Labala, G. Mondal, Haobijam Sanjita Devi, Chongtham Rajiv, Thangal Yumnamcha, S. D. Devi, R. Bharali, S. Thorat, A. Chattoraj
Involvement of neuropeptides in the reproduction of fish (seasonal/regular) is known. The daily rhythmicity and their possible interaction of four major neuropeptides namely gnih , gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone; gnrh, gonadotropinreleasing hormone; kiss1/2, kisspeptin 1/2; is not known to any fish. Our present study on the whole brain of zebrafish (Danio rerio) aimed at the daily rhythmicity of the mRNA expression of these four neuropeptides in a 12 h light/12 h dark photoperiod (LD). Only kiss2 in its expression gives a rhythmicity but other three peptides are not rhythmic. Moreover, the expression of gnih is 10-fold lower than gnrh3. Our STRING network analysis suggests kiss2 act as the mediator to communicate with gnih , gnrh3, and kiss1. Our present finding is indicating the important role of kiss2 in mediating the reproductive signal and may play a central role in the synchronization of the environmental signal and reproductive periodicity.
{"title":"The Daily Expression Profile of Neuropeptides ( gnih, gnrh3, kiss1 and kiss2 ):A Study of Possible Interaction in the Brain of Zebrafish ( Danio rerio )","authors":"Z. A. Khan, R. K. Labala, G. Mondal, Haobijam Sanjita Devi, Chongtham Rajiv, Thangal Yumnamcha, S. D. Devi, R. Bharali, S. Thorat, A. Chattoraj","doi":"10.18519/JER/2016/V20/149827","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18519/JER/2016/V20/149827","url":null,"abstract":"Involvement of neuropeptides in the reproduction of fish (seasonal/regular) is known. The daily rhythmicity and their possible interaction of four major neuropeptides namely gnih , gonadotropin-inhibitory hormone; gnrh, gonadotropinreleasing hormone; kiss1/2, kisspeptin 1/2; is not known to any fish. Our present study on the whole brain of zebrafish (Danio rerio) aimed at the daily rhythmicity of the mRNA expression of these four neuropeptides in a 12 h light/12 h dark photoperiod (LD). Only kiss2 in its expression gives a rhythmicity but other three peptides are not rhythmic. Moreover, the expression of gnih is 10-fold lower than gnrh3. Our STRING network analysis suggests kiss2 act as the mediator to communicate with gnih , gnrh3, and kiss1. Our present finding is indicating the important role of kiss2 in mediating the reproductive signal and may play a central role in the synchronization of the environmental signal and reproductive periodicity.","PeriodicalId":15664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Endocrinology and Reproduction","volume":"59 1","pages":"46-54"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"76084498","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-05-30DOI: 10.18519/JER/2016/V20/149828
K. Faisal, M. A. Akbarsha
Ubiquitination is believed to play a critical role in removal of dead and/or defective spermatozoa in normal and, more importantly, under circumstances when such spermatozoa are produced in large numbers due to genetic defects or toxic manifestations. Ubiquitination under such instances would involve specific gene expressions, many of which are not yet clearly understood. In an exhaustive study in Swiss mouse model to find the spermatotoxic effect of quassin, a diterpene compound isolated from Quassia amara , we found most of the spermatozoa to be abnormal in morphology and unviable. In the present study, we aimed at analysing the transcriptional profile of three selected genes, Ubb, Ube2c and Psmb8, involved in the ubiquitin proteolytic pathway in the testis and epididymal segments of Q. amara bark methanol extract treated mice adopting semi-quantitative RT-PCR and to study the level of DNA damage of the treated mouse spermatozoa. The results revealed that the treatment induced considerable damage to the sperm DNA. All the three genes studied showed marked increase in their levels of expression in the treated mice compared to the corresponding controls. Thus, this study shows that Q. amara methanol extract is causative of sperm DNA damage and defective spermatozoa and, in such cases, the expression of specific genes concerned with ubiquitination pathway is increased, implying that ubiquitination-proteosomal degradation is involved in the processing of dead/defective spermatozoa.
{"title":"Spermatotoxic Effect of Methanol Extract of Quassia amara L.: Impact on Expression of Specific Genes Concerned with Ubiquitination-Proteosome Degradation Pathway","authors":"K. Faisal, M. A. Akbarsha","doi":"10.18519/JER/2016/V20/149828","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18519/JER/2016/V20/149828","url":null,"abstract":"Ubiquitination is believed to play a critical role in removal of dead and/or defective spermatozoa in normal and, more importantly, under circumstances when such spermatozoa are produced in large numbers due to genetic defects or toxic manifestations. Ubiquitination under such instances would involve specific gene expressions, many of which are not yet clearly understood. In an exhaustive study in Swiss mouse model to find the spermatotoxic effect of quassin, a diterpene compound isolated from Quassia amara , we found most of the spermatozoa to be abnormal in morphology and unviable. In the present study, we aimed at analysing the transcriptional profile of three selected genes, Ubb, Ube2c and Psmb8, involved in the ubiquitin proteolytic pathway in the testis and epididymal segments of Q. amara bark methanol extract treated mice adopting semi-quantitative RT-PCR and to study the level of DNA damage of the treated mouse spermatozoa. The results revealed that the treatment induced considerable damage to the sperm DNA. All the three genes studied showed marked increase in their levels of expression in the treated mice compared to the corresponding controls. Thus, this study shows that Q. amara methanol extract is causative of sperm DNA damage and defective spermatozoa and, in such cases, the expression of specific genes concerned with ubiquitination pathway is increased, implying that ubiquitination-proteosomal degradation is involved in the processing of dead/defective spermatozoa.","PeriodicalId":15664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Endocrinology and Reproduction","volume":"16 1","pages":"55-65"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79481914","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-05-30DOI: 10.18519/JER/2016/V20/149829
Anbalagan Jaganathan, Arokya Mary Sashi, Annapoorna Kannan, M. Aruldhas
Thyroid hormones are important regulators of male fertility and mammalian testis with has specific T3 receptors has emerged as its target. Men with history of congenital or juvenile onset hypothyroidism suffer infertility. The epididymis plays a pivotal role in post-testicular maturation of sperm. Recently we reported that transient gestational–onset hypothyroidism leads to infertility in the progeny of rats by affecting sperm maturation due to decreased androgen receptor (Ar) status in the epididymis. In the present study we tested the hypothesis “transient gestational exposure to antithyroid drugs during critical periods of differentiation of male reproductive tract organs may interfere with the functions of epididymis in F1 progeny by modifying the expression of Ar gene, and activity of its protein and the key steroidogenic enzyme, 5α-reductase”. To test the hypothesis, pregnant rats were exposed to the antithyroid drug methimazole (0.05% through drinking water) from embryonic day (ED)9 to 14/18/21covering specific periods of testicular and other male reproductive tract organs differentiation to induce hypothyroidism. Male pups with transient gestational hypothyroidism showed subnormal levels of serum testosterone, and estradiol, along with decreased expression of Ar, and 5α-reductase activity in the epididymis of pre-puberal rats at postnatal day (PND)29, whereas there was normal/boosted Ar expression, and 5α-reductase activity peripubertal rat epididymis at PND 49. Taken together, the present study and our previous report point out that gestational-onset hypothyroidism affect fertility of F1 progeny through an age-dependent divergent effect on 5α-reductase activity and AR gene expression in the epididymis.
{"title":"Molecular mechanism underlying the temporal shift in androgen action in post-natal rat epididymis due to gestational-onset hypothyroidism","authors":"Anbalagan Jaganathan, Arokya Mary Sashi, Annapoorna Kannan, M. Aruldhas","doi":"10.18519/JER/2016/V20/149829","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18519/JER/2016/V20/149829","url":null,"abstract":"Thyroid hormones are important regulators of male fertility and mammalian testis with has specific T3 receptors has emerged as its target. Men with history of congenital or juvenile onset hypothyroidism suffer infertility. The epididymis plays a pivotal role in post-testicular maturation of sperm. Recently we reported that transient gestational–onset hypothyroidism leads to infertility in the progeny of rats by affecting sperm maturation due to decreased androgen receptor (Ar) status in the epididymis. In the present study we tested the hypothesis “transient gestational exposure to antithyroid drugs during critical periods of differentiation of male reproductive tract organs may interfere with the functions of epididymis in F1 progeny by modifying the expression of Ar gene, and activity of its protein and the key steroidogenic enzyme, 5α-reductase”. To test the hypothesis, pregnant rats were exposed to the antithyroid drug methimazole (0.05% through drinking water) from embryonic day (ED)9 to 14/18/21covering specific periods of testicular and other male reproductive tract organs differentiation to induce hypothyroidism. Male pups with transient gestational hypothyroidism showed subnormal levels of serum testosterone, and estradiol, along with decreased expression of Ar, and 5α-reductase activity in the epididymis of pre-puberal rats at postnatal day (PND)29, whereas there was normal/boosted Ar expression, and 5α-reductase activity peripubertal rat epididymis at PND 49. Taken together, the present study and our previous report point out that gestational-onset hypothyroidism affect fertility of F1 progeny through an age-dependent divergent effect on 5α-reductase activity and AR gene expression in the epididymis.","PeriodicalId":15664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Endocrinology and Reproduction","volume":"64 1","pages":"66-75"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"84579434","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-05-30DOI: 10.18519/JER/2016/V20/149826
I. Mishra, Vinod Kumar
The pineal gland is an important component of the multioscillatory avian circadian timekeeping system. The other principal clock components reside in the retinae of the eyes and the hypothalamus. The best known output signal from the pineal gland is melatonin, which is a lipophilic molecule. The presence of melatonin is however not limited to the organisms having a pineal gland. Melatonin is present from plants to protozoa to humans. Melatonin seems to have been evolutionarily conserved as an adaptive molecule of darkness of the daily day-night environment. In birds, the major physiological roles of pineal melatonin are in its involvement in the daily and seasonal timekeeping as well as photoperiodic time measurement. Birds use daily rhythm in melatonin secretion to decode the time-of-day as well as the time-of-year information. Besides, melatonin performs other physiological roles, namely in the immune function, free radical scavenging, etc. Avian pineal (melatonin) directly regulates several circadian behaviors, but intriguingly not the circadian rhythm-mediated photoperiodic induction of gonadal development. Melatonin, however, may act as an endocrine modulator of seasonal reproduction. In this article, we describe briefly the avian timekeeping system and then discuss the potential roles of pineal gland and melatonin in daily and seasonal timing of physiology in birds, particularly in songbirds.
{"title":"Role of Pineal and Melatonin in the Avian Circadian and Photoperiodic Systems","authors":"I. Mishra, Vinod Kumar","doi":"10.18519/JER/2016/V20/149826","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18519/JER/2016/V20/149826","url":null,"abstract":"The pineal gland is an important component of the multioscillatory avian circadian timekeeping system. The other principal clock components reside in the retinae of the eyes and the hypothalamus. The best known output signal from the pineal gland is melatonin, which is a lipophilic molecule. The presence of melatonin is however not limited to the organisms having a pineal gland. Melatonin is present from plants to protozoa to humans. Melatonin seems to have been evolutionarily conserved as an adaptive molecule of darkness of the daily day-night environment. In birds, the major physiological roles of pineal melatonin are in its involvement in the daily and seasonal timekeeping as well as photoperiodic time measurement. Birds use daily rhythm in melatonin secretion to decode the time-of-day as well as the time-of-year information. Besides, melatonin performs other physiological roles, namely in the immune function, free radical scavenging, etc. Avian pineal (melatonin) directly regulates several circadian behaviors, but intriguingly not the circadian rhythm-mediated photoperiodic induction of gonadal development. Melatonin, however, may act as an endocrine modulator of seasonal reproduction. In this article, we describe briefly the avian timekeeping system and then discuss the potential roles of pineal gland and melatonin in daily and seasonal timing of physiology in birds, particularly in songbirds.","PeriodicalId":15664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Endocrinology and Reproduction","volume":"6 1","pages":"38-45"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2017-05-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"78398785","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Infertility is a major problem of the day amongst men and women and marked by no pregnancy even after one year of unprotected intercourse. Almost 30% of infertility has been related with male factors, concerning sperm-low concentration, poor motility, decreased viability, and deformities. Factors like pollution, drugs, stress, life style changes, toxicants and nutritional deficiencies inflict deleterious effects on reproductive health, especially spermatogenesis. Fluoride is one such potent toxicant to which humans are exposed. The problem of fluorosis is known for long in India, especially in Andhra Pradesh. It was reported in several studies that fluoride interferes with the structural and functional integrity of the male reproductive system resulting in male factor infertility. Oat, Avena sativa, has a wide range of chemical and mineral constituents. The present research has been undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of oats as a nutrient and food supplement to lessen the fluoride-induced infertility in male rats. In this study fluoride, at a dose of 0.01 g/kg body weight, administered through oral route, induced infertility by causing damage to histoarchitecture of the testis and decrease in the levels of plasma testosterone, FSH, and LH. Treatment with hydroalcoholic extract of oats resulted in decreased damage to the reproductive organs and lesser impact on sperm parameters- sperm count, viability, morphology, motility, etc. Form the present study it is concluded that oats has the ability to decrease the toxic effect of fluoride.
{"title":"Effect of Avena sativa (Oats) on Spermatogenesis and Reproductive Health","authors":"Vara Prasad Saka, S. Challa, Butchi Raju Akondi","doi":"10.18311/JER/2016/15471","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18311/JER/2016/15471","url":null,"abstract":"Infertility is a major problem of the day amongst men and women and marked by no pregnancy even after one year of unprotected intercourse. Almost 30% of infertility has been related with male factors, concerning sperm-low concentration, poor motility, decreased viability, and deformities. Factors like pollution, drugs, stress, life style changes, toxicants and nutritional deficiencies inflict deleterious effects on reproductive health, especially spermatogenesis. Fluoride is one such potent toxicant to which humans are exposed. The problem of fluorosis is known for long in India, especially in Andhra Pradesh. It was reported in several studies that fluoride interferes with the structural and functional integrity of the male reproductive system resulting in male factor infertility. Oat, Avena sativa, has a wide range of chemical and mineral constituents. The present research has been undertaken to evaluate the efficacy of oats as a nutrient and food supplement to lessen the fluoride-induced infertility in male rats. In this study fluoride, at a dose of 0.01 g/kg body weight, administered through oral route, induced infertility by causing damage to histoarchitecture of the testis and decrease in the levels of plasma testosterone, FSH, and LH. Treatment with hydroalcoholic extract of oats resulted in decreased damage to the reproductive organs and lesser impact on sperm parameters- sperm count, viability, morphology, motility, etc. Form the present study it is concluded that oats has the ability to decrease the toxic effect of fluoride.","PeriodicalId":15664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Endocrinology and Reproduction","volume":"22 1","pages":"118-125"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-12-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83103234","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-12-01DOI: 10.18519/JER/2016/V20/165444
S. Arora, R. Sarkar, C. Haldar
The investigation of pineal-specific proteins is not new but offers scope for identification of antigonadotropic compound(s). There is difference in the activities of the reproductively active and inactive phase pineal homogenates of seasonally breeding animals, e.g., squirrels. The present study aimed at checking the squirrel pineal proteins adopting gel-electrophoresis technique. Homogenate of the reproductively quiescent phase pineal homogenate separated into 14 fractions whereas that of reproductively active phase pineal presented 17 protein fractions (3 additional fractions). It is assumed that these three protein bands (which were not noted for the squirrel in reproductively inactive phase) are responsible for the antigonadal/ antigonadotropic effect of the pineal gland. The present study, though very preliminary in nature, has brought out the difference in the pattern of proteins of two different phases of the pineal gland- reproductively active and quiescent. The data throw open scope for extensive biochemical studies to decipher the physical and chemical nature and the properties of an anti-gonadotropic protein.
{"title":"Gel Electrophoretic Separation of Pineal Gland Proteins of the Iropical Rodent Funambulus pennantii","authors":"S. Arora, R. Sarkar, C. Haldar","doi":"10.18519/JER/2016/V20/165444","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18519/JER/2016/V20/165444","url":null,"abstract":"The investigation of pineal-specific proteins is not new but offers scope for identification of antigonadotropic compound(s). There is difference in the activities of the reproductively active and inactive phase pineal homogenates of seasonally breeding animals, e.g., squirrels. The present study aimed at checking the squirrel pineal proteins adopting gel-electrophoresis technique. Homogenate of the reproductively quiescent phase pineal homogenate separated into 14 fractions whereas that of reproductively active phase pineal presented 17 protein fractions (3 additional fractions). It is assumed that these three protein bands (which were not noted for the squirrel in reproductively inactive phase) are responsible for the antigonadal/ antigonadotropic effect of the pineal gland. The present study, though very preliminary in nature, has brought out the difference in the pattern of proteins of two different phases of the pineal gland- reproductively active and quiescent. The data throw open scope for extensive biochemical studies to decipher the physical and chemical nature and the properties of an anti-gonadotropic protein.","PeriodicalId":15664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Endocrinology and Reproduction","volume":"10 1","pages":"113-117"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"86123254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2016-12-01DOI: 10.18519/JER/2016/V20/165443
S. Arora, R. Yadav, C. Haldar
Pregnancy is associated with profound immunological changes that are characterized by a strong activation of certain components of the innate immune defense and a down-regulation of adaptive immune functions. This shift in balance of the immune system towards an innate dominance is thought to be important for the maintenance of pregnancy. Based on our observation in the short nosed fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx, a seasonal breeder, we show for the first time that melatonin injection to the pregnant females significantly increases lymphocyte proliferation of spleen and consequently the circulating level of lymphocytes and percent stimulation ratio of splenocytes, thereby improving immune status during pregnancy. We have reported earlier that during pregnancy melatonin level increases significantly which in turn might improve the maternal immunity. Towards establishing this inference we used a physiological dose of p-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA), an indirect antagonist of melatonin, which reduced circulatory melatonin level and thereby reduced the immune status. It is conceived that specific immune adaptation is conveyed to the fetus through placental transfer of melatonin thereby controlling fetal immunity as well. This could be an adaptation during pregnancy to protect the mother from various external threats.
{"title":"Role of Melatonin in Modulation of Immune Status of Pregnant Female Indian Short Nosed Fruit Bat Cynopterus Sphinx","authors":"S. Arora, R. Yadav, C. Haldar","doi":"10.18519/JER/2016/V20/165443","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.18519/JER/2016/V20/165443","url":null,"abstract":"Pregnancy is associated with profound immunological changes that are characterized by a strong activation of certain components of the innate immune defense and a down-regulation of adaptive immune functions. This shift in balance of the immune system towards an innate dominance is thought to be important for the maintenance of pregnancy. Based on our observation in the short nosed fruit bat Cynopterus sphinx, a seasonal breeder, we show for the first time that melatonin injection to the pregnant females significantly increases lymphocyte proliferation of spleen and consequently the circulating level of lymphocytes and percent stimulation ratio of splenocytes, thereby improving immune status during pregnancy. We have reported earlier that during pregnancy melatonin level increases significantly which in turn might improve the maternal immunity. Towards establishing this inference we used a physiological dose of p-chlorophenylalanine (p-CPA), an indirect antagonist of melatonin, which reduced circulatory melatonin level and thereby reduced the immune status. It is conceived that specific immune adaptation is conveyed to the fetus through placental transfer of melatonin thereby controlling fetal immunity as well. This could be an adaptation during pregnancy to protect the mother from various external threats.","PeriodicalId":15664,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Endocrinology and Reproduction","volume":"11 1","pages":"102-112"},"PeriodicalIF":0.0,"publicationDate":"2016-12-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"91348077","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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