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Alves-Silva T, Freitas GA, Húngaro TGR, Arruda AC, Oyama LM, Avellar MCW, Araujo RC. Interleukin-6 deficiency modulates testicular function by increasing the expression of suppressor of cytokine signaling 3 (SOCS3) in mice. Sci Rep 2021; 11:11456. [PMID: 34075113 PMCID: PMC8169872 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-90872-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Several cytokines have been reported to participate in spermatogenesis, including interleukin-6 (IL6). However, not many studies have been conducted on the loss of Il6 on the male reproductive tract. Nonetheless, there is considerable knowledge regarding the pathological and physiological role of IL6 on spermatogenesis. In this way, this study evaluated the impact of Il6 deficiency on mice testicles in the absence of infection or inflammation. We showed that Il6 deficiency increases daily sperm production, the number of spermatids, and the testicular testosterone and dihydrotestosterone levels. Besides that, mice with a deleted Il6 (IL6KO) showed increased testicular SOCS3 levels, with no changes in pJAK/JAK and pSTAT3/STAT3 ratios. It is worth noting that the aforementioned pathway is not the only pathway to up-regulate SOCS3, nor is it the only SOCS3 target, thus proposing that the increase of SOCS3 in the testis occurs independently of the JAK-STAT signaling in IL6KO mice. Therefore, we suggest that the lack of Il6 drives androgenic production by increasing SOCS3 in the testis, thus leading to an increase in spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thaís Alves-Silva
- grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Laboratory of Genetics and Exercise Metabolism, Biophysics Department, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil ,grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Molecular Biology Program, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Geanne Arantes Freitas
- grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Pharmacology and Molecular Biology Institute, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil ,grid.11899.380000 0004 1937 0722Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Talita Guerreiro Rodrigues Húngaro
- grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Laboratory of Genetics and Exercise Metabolism, Biophysics Department, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil ,grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Nephrology Program, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Adriano Cleis Arruda
- grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Laboratory of Genetics and Exercise Metabolism, Biophysics Department, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil ,grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Nephrology Program, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Lila Missae Oyama
- grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Laboratory of Nutrition and Endocrine Physiology, Physiology Department, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Maria Christina Werneck Avellar
- grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Pharmacology and Molecular Biology Institute, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Ronaldo Carvalho Araujo
- grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Laboratory of Genetics and Exercise Metabolism, Biophysics Department, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil ,grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Molecular Biology Program, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil ,grid.411249.b0000 0001 0514 7202Nephrology Program, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, Brazil
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Avellar MCW, Ribeiro CM, Dias-da-Silva MR, Silva EJR. In search of new paradigms for epididymal health and disease: innate immunity, inflammatory mediators, and steroid hormones. Andrology 2019; 7:690-702. [PMID: 31207127 DOI: 10.1111/andr.12654] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 04/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/29/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
The primary job of the epididymis is to mature and protect the luminally transiting spermatozoa. Mounting evidence is showing that innate immune components [including Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and antimicrobial proteins, among which are β-defensins] and inflammatory mediators, under the primary influence of androgens, participate in the cellular and molecular processes that define this tissue. Here, we present an overview of the contributions of these signaling pathway components during epididymal homeostasis and discuss the hypotheses as to their involvement in epididymitis, the most common urological inflammatory condition in men, frequently impairing their fertility. Drawing primarily from rodent models, we also focus on how the distribution and functional expression of innate immune components are differentially regulated in the prenatal developing epididymis, providing new insights into the disruption of these signaling pathways throughout the lifespan. Male infertility is caused by a variety of conditions, such as congenital malformations, genetic and endocrine disorders, exposure to environmental toxicants, and inflammatory/infectious conditions. More than one-third of infertile men with an idiopathic condition cannot currently be adequately diagnosed. Thinking about the innate immunity and inflammation context of the epididymis may provide new insights and directions as to how these systems contribute to male fertility, as well as also uncover urological and andrological outcomes that may aid clinicians in diagnosing and preventing epididymal pathologies.
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Affiliation(s)
- M C W Avellar
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - C M Ribeiro
- Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - M R Dias-da-Silva
- Department of Medicine, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - E J R Silva
- Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biosciences of Botucatu, Universidade Estadual Paulista 'Júlio de Mesquita Filho', Botucatu, SP, Brazil
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Jurkiewicz NH, Caricati-Neto A, Verde LF, Honda L, da Silva Junior ED, Reuter HR, Jurkiewicz A, Avellar MCW. Could α1-adrenoceptors and androgen receptors be modified by sexual maturation and testosterone in the rat testicular capsule? Life Sci 2015; 141:212-20. [DOI: 10.1016/j.lfs.2015.09.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2015] [Revised: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 09/10/2015] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Silva EJR, Vendramini V, Restelli A, Bertolla RP, Kempinas WG, Avellar MCW. Impact of adrenalectomy and dexamethasone treatment on testicular morphology and sperm parameters in rats: insights into the adrenal control of male reproduction. Andrology 2014; 2:835-46. [PMID: 24925687 DOI: 10.1111/j.2047-2927.2014.00228.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2013] [Revised: 04/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Here we investigated the hypothesis that normal levels of glucocorticoids, a class of adrenal steroid hormones, are required for normal testicular and epididymal functions. We examined the effects of the manipulation of glucocorticoid plasma levels by bilateral adrenalectomy (1, 2, 7 and 15 days) alone or in combination with daily treatment with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX; 5 μg/kg, i.p., 6 days) on the morphology of the testis and sperm parameters in rats. We showed that adrenalectomy led to a reduction in testicular sperm count and daily sperm production starting 2 days after surgery and a differential decrease in sperm count in the epididymis, according to the region and time post-adrenalectomy analysed. In parallel, testes from 7-day adrenalectomized (ADX) rats displayed a higher frequency of damaged seminiferous tubules and the presence of elongated spermatids retained in the basal epithelial compartment in stages IX-XVII, which is indicative of defective spermiation. The alkaline comet assay revealed a late effect of adrenalectomy on epididymal sperm DNA fragmentation, which was increased only 15 days after surgery. DEX treatment prevented the changes in testicular and epididymal sperm count observed in 7-day ADX rats, but failed to protect the testis from ADX-induced morphological abnormalities. Thus, our results indicated that glucocorticoids may be involved in events related to the maintenance of spermatogenesis and sperm maturation during adulthood. These findings provide new insights into the importance of adrenal steroids to male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- E J R Silva
- Section of Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo - Escola Paulista de Medicina (UNIFESP-EPM), São Paulo, Brazil
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Romano RM, Bargi-Souza P, Brunetto EL, Goulart-Silva F, Avellar MCW, Oliveira CA, Nunes MT. Hypothyroidism in adult male rats alters posttranscriptional mechanisms of luteinizing hormone biosynthesis. Thyroid 2013; 23:497-505. [PMID: 23240964 DOI: 10.1089/thy.2011.0514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Studies in men are not consistent regarding the effects of thyroid hormone on the production of gonadotropins. In hypothyroidism consequent to diverse causes, an increase or no change in serum luteinizing hormone (LH) have been reported. The attempt to explain the mechanisms involved in this pathology using rats as an experimental model also seems to repeat this divergence, since hypothyroidism has been shown to induce hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, a hypergonadotropic state, or not to affect the basal levels of LH. Notably, the promoter region of the gene encoding the Lh beta subunit and GnRH (gonadotropin-releasing factor) does not contain a thyroid responsive element. Therefore, we investigated the hypothesis that, in male rats, posttranscriptional mechanisms of LH synthesis are altered in hypothyroidism. We also attempted to determine if hypothyroidism directly affects testicular function in male rats. METHODS Male Wistar rats, 60 days old, were thyroidectomized or sham-operated. After 20 days, they were decapitated, and the pituitaries were collected and analyzed for Lh mRNA, LH content, poly(A) tail length, and polysome profile. The testes were collected and analyzed for Lh receptor mRNA, LH receptor content, and histology using morphometric analyses. The testis, epididymis, seminal vesicle, and ventral prostate were weighed, and serum concentrations of LH, testosterone, thyrotropin (TSH), and triiodothyronine (T3) were measured. RESULTS Hypothyroidism was associated, in the pituitary, with an increase in Lh mRNA expression, a reduction in Lh mRNA poly(A) tail length, a reduction in the number of LH transcripts associated with polysomes. Pituitary LH was decreased but serum LH was increased from 102 to 543 pg/mL. Despite this, serum testosterone concentrations were decreased from 1.8 to 0.25 ng/mL. A decreased germinative epithelium height of the testes and a reduced weight of androgen-responsive tissues were observed (ventral prostrate: 74 vs. 23 mg/100 g body weight [BW]; seminal vesicle undrained: 280 vs. 70 mg/100 g BW; and seminal vesicle drained: 190 vs. 60 mg/100 g BW). CONCLUSIONS Hypothyroidism in adult male rats has dual effects on the pituitary testicular axis. It alters posttranscriptional mechanisms of LH synthesis and probably has a direct effect on testicular function. However, these data suggest the possibility that reduced LH bioactivity may account in part for impaired testicular function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Renata Marino Romano
- Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo, Brazil.
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Kawamoto EM, Lima LS, Munhoz CD, Yshii LM, Kinoshita PF, Amara FG, Pestana RRF, Orellana AMM, Cipolla-Neto J, Britto LRG, Avellar MCW, Rossoni LV, Scavone C. Influence of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors on ouabain activation of nuclear factor-κB in the rat hippocampus. J Neurosci Res 2011; 90:213-28. [PMID: 22006678 DOI: 10.1002/jnr.22745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2010] [Revised: 06/25/2011] [Accepted: 06/27/2011] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
It has been shown that ouabain (OUA) can activate the Na,K-ATPase complex and mediate intracellular signaling in the central nervous system (CNS). Inflammatory stimulus increases glutamatergic transmission, especially at N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which are usually coupled to the activation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation modulates the expression of genes involved in development, plasticity, and inflammation. The present work investigated the effects of OUA on NF-κB binding activity in rat hippocampus and the influence of this OUA-Na,K-ATPase signaling cascade in NMDA-mediated NF-κB activation. The findings presented here are the first report indicating that intrahippocampal administration of OUA, in a concentration that did not alter Na,K-ATPase or NOS activity, induced an activation of NF-κB, leading to increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), inducible NOS (iNos), tumor necrosis factor-α (Tnf-α), and B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) mRNA levels. This response was not linked to any significant signs of neurodegeneration as showed via Fluoro-Jade B and Nissl stain. Intrahippocampal administration of NMDA induced NF-κB activation and increased NOS and α(2/3) -Na,K-ATPase activities. NMDA treatment further increased OUA-induced NF-κB activation, which was partially blocked by MK-801, an antagonist of NMDA receptor. These results suggest that OUA-induced NF-κB activation is at least in part dependent on Na,K-ATPase modulatory action of NMDA receptor in hippocampus. The interaction of these signaling pathways could be associated with biological mechanisms that may underlie the basal homeostatic state linked to the inflammatory signaling cascade in the brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- E M Kawamoto
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Science, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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Gomes GRO, Yasuhara F, Siu ER, Fernandes SAF, Avellar MCW, Lazari MFM, Porto CS. In vivo treatments with fulvestrant and anastrozole differentially affect gene expression in the rat efferent ductules. Biol Reprod 2010; 84:52-61. [PMID: 20826728 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.110.085340] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Estrogen plays a key role in maintaining the morphology and function of the efferent ductules. We previously demonstrated that the antiestrogen fulvestrant markedly affected gene expression in the rat efferent ductules. The mechanism of fulvestrant action to modulate gene expression may involve not only the blockade of ESR1 and ESR2 estrogen receptors, but also the activation of ESR1 and ESR2 when the receptors are tethered to AP-1 or SP1 transcription factors, or the activation of the G protein-coupled estrogen receptor 1. We therefore compared the effects of two strategies to interfere with estrogen action in the rat efferent ductules: treatment with fulvestrant or with the aromatase inhibitor anastrozole. Whereas fulvestrant markedly increased Mmp7 and Spp1, and reduced Nptx1 mRNA levels, no changes were observed with anastrozole. Fulvestrant caused changes in epithelial morphology that were not seen with anastrozole. Fulvestrant shifted MMP7 immunolocalization in the epithelial cells from the supranuclear to the apical region; this effect was less pronounced with anastrozole. In vitro studies of (35)S-methionine incorporation showed that protein release was increased, whereas tissue protein content in the efferent ductules of fulvestrant-treated rats was decreased. Although fulvestrant markedly affected gene expression, no changes were observed on AP-1 and SP1 DNA-binding activity. The blockade of ESRs seems to be the major reason explaining the differences between both treatments. At least some of the effects of fulvestrant appear to result from compensatory mechanisms activated by the dramatic changes caused by ESR1 blockade.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gisele Renata Oliveira Gomes
- Section of Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Pharmacology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Instituto Nacional de Farmacologia e Biologia Molecular, Vila Clementino, São Paulo, Brazil
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Ghedini PC, Honda L, Avellar MCW, Souccar C. Presence of mRNA of muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits and an epsilon-subunit splice variant in the mouse brain. Brain Res Bull 2009; 81:453-7. [PMID: 20026389 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainresbull.2009.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/18/2009] [Revised: 12/13/2009] [Accepted: 12/13/2009] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Transcripts encoding for alpha1, beta1, delta, gamma and epsilon (and its splice variant epsilon(s)) subunits of the muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) were assessed using reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays, with RNA extracted from the mouse skeletal muscle (diaphragm) and brain regions (cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum). The presence of alpha1, beta1, delta, gamma, epsilon and epsilon(s) transcripts was confirmed in the diaphragm muscle, used as positive control. mRNAs coding for muscle alpha1, beta1, delta, epsilon, epsilon(s), but not gamma subunits, were detected in adult mouse brain regions. An epsilon-subunit sequence variant, named epsilon(t), was also detected in all brain regions examined, but not in skeletal muscle. This new epsilon-subunit splice variant lacks a 115 bp cassette corresponding to exon 8 in the first intracellular transmembrane domain of the subunit, leading to a truncated protein. The data provide evidence for the presence of muscle-type nAChR subunits in the mouse central nervous system.
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Affiliation(s)
- P C Ghedini
- Department of Pharmacology, Natural Products Section, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Escola Paulista de Medicina, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
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Munhoz CD, Lepsch LB, Kawamoto EM, Malta MB, Lima LDS, Werneck Avellar MC, Sapolsky RM, Scavone C. Chronic unpredictable stress exacerbates lipopolysaccharide-induced activation of nuclear factor-kappaB in the frontal cortex and hippocampus via glucocorticoid secretion. J Neurosci 2006; 26:3813-20. [PMID: 16597735 PMCID: PMC6674142 DOI: 10.1523/jneurosci.4398-05.2006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 208] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Although the anti-inflammatory actions of glucocorticoids (GCs) are well established in the periphery, these stress hormones can increase inflammation under some circumstances in the brain. The transcription factor nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), which is inhibited by GCs, regulates numerous genes central to inflammation. In this study, the effects of stress, GCs, and NMDA receptors on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced activation of NF-kappaB in the brain were investigated. One day after chronic unpredictable stress (CUS), nonstressed and CUS rats were treated with saline or LPS and killed 2 h later. CUS potentiated the increase in LPS-induced activation of NF-kappaB in frontal cortex and hippocampus but not in the hypothalamus. This stress effect was blocked by pretreatment of rats with RU-486, an antagonist of the GC receptor. MK-801 [(+)-5-methyl-10,11-dihydro-5H-dibenzo [a,d] cyclohepten-5,10-imine maleate], an NMDA receptor antagonist, also reduced the effect of LPS in all three brain regions. However, the combined antagonism of both GC and NMDA receptors produced no further reduction in NF-kappaB activation when compared with the effect of each treatment alone. Our results indicate that stress, via GC secretion, can increase LPS-induced NF-kappaB activation in the frontal cortex and hippocampus, agreeing with a growing literature demonstrating proinflammatory effects of GCs.
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Buratini J, Glapinski VF, Giometti IC, Teixeira AB, Costa IB, Avellar MCW, Barros CM, Price CA. Expression of fibroblast growth factor-8 and its cognate receptors, fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)-3c and-4, in fetal bovine preantral follicles. Mol Reprod Dev 2005; 70:255-61. [PMID: 15625702 DOI: 10.1002/mrd.20205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Paracrine cell signaling is thought to be important for ovarian follicle development, and a role for some members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family have been suggested. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that FGF-8 and its cognate receptors (FGFR-3c and FGFR-4) are expressed in bovine preantral follicles. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify bovine FGF-8, FGFR-3c, and FGFR-4 from preantral follicle samples and a variety of fetal and adult tissues. All three genes were widely expressed in fetal tissues, with a restricted expression pattern in adult tissues. FGF-8 and FGFR-3c were expressed in secondary follicles in 70% of fetuses examined, whereas FGFR-4 expression was significantly less frequent (20%). FGFR-3c expression frequency was significantly lower in primordial compared to secondary follicles, and FGF-8 expression showed a similar trend. FGFR-4 was only observed when all follicle classes of an individual were expressing both FGF-8 and FGFR-3c. We conclude that FGF-8 and its receptors are expressed in preantral follicles in a developmentally regulated manner.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Buratini
- Departamento de Fisiologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, Sãao Paulo, Brasil.
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Abstract
The activation of nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) leads to an increase in the expression of genes involved in important events in the central nervous system (CNS), such as development, plasticity and inflammation. It has been shown that inflammatory stimulus in the brain increases excitatory glutamatergic transmission, especially at N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor. These receptors have an important role in glutamate neurotoxicity and are in general coupled with the generation of nitric oxide (NO) through the activation of neuronal nitric oxide synthase (NOS). We have investigated the involvement of NMDA-NO pathway in LPS induction of NF-kappaB in CNS. Our results demonstrate that systemic LPS activates NF-kappaB in several regions of the CNS, which was partially reduced by the NMDA receptor antagonist dizolcipine (MK-801) and by the selective brain NOS inhibitor 7-Nitroindazol (7-Ni). 7-Ni effects were not synergic to MK-801 effects, suggesting that these compounds act through the same pathway. Dexamethasone caused a stronger reduction in LPS induction of NF-kappaB in CNS, demonstrating that MK-801 and 7-Ni act on a pathway that is responsible only by a fraction of the overall NF-kappaB activation. These results suggest that a considerable part of NF-kappaB activation by LPS is linked to the NMDA/NO pathway in CNS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaias Glezer
- Molecular Neuropharmacology Laboratory, Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biomedical Science-ICB-1, Avenida Professor Lineu Prestes, 1524, University of São Paulo, Sao Paulo 05508-900, Brazil
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SãoPedro SL, Fraietta R, Spaine D, Porto CS, Srougi M, Cedenho AP, Avellar MCW. Prevalence of Y chromosome deletions in a Brazilian population of nonobstructive azoospermic and severely oligozoospermic men. Braz J Med Biol Res 2003; 36:787-93. [PMID: 12792709 DOI: 10.1590/s0100-879x2003000600015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We determined the prevalence of Y chromosome deletions in a population of 60 Brazilian nonobstructive azoospermic and severely oligozoospermic men. PCR-based screening of microdeletions was performed on lymphocyte DNA for the presence of 14 sequence-tagged sites (STS) located in the azoospermic factor (AZF) on the Yq chromosome. All STS were amplified efficiently in samples from 12 fertile men tested, but failed to be amplified in samples from fertile women, indicating the specificity of PCR conditions for Yq screening. Overall, 4 of the 60 infertile patients tested (6.7%) exhibited deletion of the Y chromosome, 2 of them being severely oligozoospermic patients (P10 and P32) and 2 azoospermic men (patients P47 and P57). Patients P47 and P57 presented larger deletions in the AZFa, AZFb and AZFc subregions, with apparent loss of Yq material evidenced by karyotype analysis. Patients P10 and P32 presented deletions confined to the AZFc region, involving the DAZ locus. Male relatives of patients P10 and P32 had no Y chromosome deletions and presented a normal karyotype, suggesting a de novo status of the deletions found. Our data add to the growing literature showing that microdeletions of the Y chromosome can be the cause of male idiopathic infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L SãoPedro
- Seção de Endocrinologia Experimental, Departamento de Farmacologia, Escola Paulista de Medicina, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brasil
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13
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Glezer I, Marcourakis T, Avellar MCW, Gorenstein C, Scavone C. O fator de transcrição NF-kapaB nos mecanismos moleculares de ação de psicofármacos. Rev Bras Psiquiatr 2000. [DOI: 10.1590/s1516-44462000000100008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Nos últimos anos muitos esforços têm sido empregados para elucidar os mecanismos envolvidos na regulação da transcrição gênica. Moléculas que participam desses processos regulatórios, como os fatores de transcrição, têm recebido atenção especial. A participação desses fatores em diversas funções neurais enfatiza sua importância para a compreensão de distúrbios relacionados ao sistema nervoso central (SNC) e para delinear novos caminhos de acesso terapêutico. O fator de transcrição NF-kapaB destaca-se pela sua vasta gama de ações e pelo fato de diversas proteínas estarem integradas na dinâmica de sua ativação. Evidências recentes apontam o envolvimento desse fator na plasticidade, desenvolvimento e neurodegeneração, com funções essenciais e específicas em neurônios e células da glia. Nesse sentido, o glutamato desponta como um ativador específico (tanto via receptores NMDA e AMPA/KA), juntamente com as neurotrofinas. Este artigo aborda a complexa regulação bioquímica do NF-kapaB e destaca as prováveis contribuições provenientes dos novos conhecimentos junto ao campo da psicofarmacologia. Portanto, alterações da atividade do NF-kapaB poderão trazer novas perspectivas no desenvolvimento de novos psicofármacos.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tania Marcourakis
- Universidade de São Paulo; Centro de Investigações Médicas em Neurologia
| | | | - Clarice Gorenstein
- Universidade de São Paulo; Centro de Investigações Médicas em Neurologia
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