Characterization of the reproductive effects of the anorexigenic VGF-derived peptide TLQP-21: in vivo and in vitro studies in male rats

2011 ◽  
Vol 300 (5) ◽  
pp. E837-E847 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonor Pinilla ◽  
Rafael Pineda ◽  
Francisco Gaytán ◽  
Magdalena Romero ◽  
David García-Galiano ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Chronic Administration ◽  
Testicular Tissue ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Central Administration ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Hpg Axis ◽  
Reproductive Effects

VGF (nonacronymic) is a 68-kDa protein encoded by the homonymous gene, which is expressed abundantly at the hypothalamus and has been involved in the control of metabolism and body weight homeostasis. Different active peptide fragments are generated from VGF, including TLQP-21. Circumstantial evidence has suggested that VGF might also participate in the control of reproduction. Yet its mechanisms of action and the eventual role of specific VGF-derived peptides on the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis remain unknown. Herein we report a series of studies on the reproductive effects of TLQP-21 as evaluated in male rats by a combination of in vivo and in vitro analyses. Central administration of TLQP-21 induced acute gonadotropin responses in pubertal and adult male rats, likely via stimulation of GnRH secretion, as documented by static incubations of hypothalamic tissue. In addition, in pubertal (but not adult) males, TLQP-21 stimulated LH secretion directly at the pituitary level. Repeated central administration of TLQP-21 to pubertal males subjected to chronic undernutrition was able to ameliorate the hypogonadotropic state induced by food deprivation. In contrast, chronic administration of TLQP-21 to fed males at puberty resulted in partial desensitization and puberty delay. Finally, in adult (but not pubertal) males, TLQP-21 enhanced hCG-stimulated testosterone secretion by testicular tissue in vitro. In summary, our data are the first to document a complex and multifaceted mode of action of TLQP-21 at different levels of the male HPG axis with predominant stimulatory effects, thus providing a tenable basis for the (direct) reproductive role of this VGF-derived peptide.

scholarly journals Prolactin and Male Fertility: The Long and Short Feedback Regulation

2009 ◽  
Vol 2009 ◽  
pp. 1-13 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. K. Gill-Sharma
Keyword(s):  
Chromatin Condensation ◽  
Feedback Regulation ◽  
Pituitary Hormones ◽  
Feedback Mechanism ◽  
Reproductive Hormones ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Normal Men

In the last 20 years, a pituitary-hypothalamus tissue culture system with intact neural and portal connections has been developed in our lab and used to understand the feedback mechanisms that regulate the secretions of adenohypophyseal hormones and fertility of male rats. In the last decade, several in vivo rat models have also been developed in our lab with a view to substantiate the in vitro findings, in order to delineate the role of pituitary hormones in the regulation of fertility of male rats. These studies have relied on both surgical and pharmacological interventions to modulate the secretions of gonadotropins and testosterone. The interrelationship between the circadian release of reproductive hormones has also been ascertained in normal men. Our studies suggest that testosterone regulates the secretion of prolactin through a long feedback mechanism, which appears to have been conserved from rats to humans. These studies have filled in a major lacuna pertaining to the role of prolactin in male reproductive physiology by demonstrating the interdependence between testosterone and prolactin. Systemic levels of prolactin play a deterministic role in the mechanism of chromatin condensation during spermiogenesis.

scholarly journals Elevation of interleukin-6 in response to a chronic inflammatory stimulus in mice: inhibition by indomethacin

Blood ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 194-202 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Shacter ◽  
GK Arzadon ◽  
J Williams
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Cell ◽  
Peritoneal Cavity ◽  
Interleukin 6 ◽  
Chronic Administration ◽  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Chronic Inflammatory Response

Abstract Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a mineral oil such as pristane induces a chronic inflammatory response in mice. This is characterized by a large influx of macrophages and other inflammatory cells into the peritoneal cavity for months after injection of the oil. By using the B9 cell bioassay, it was found that injection of pristane caused a marked and prolonged elevation of interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in the peritoneal cavities of the mice. IL-6 was undetectable (less than 15 U/mL) in the peritoneal fluids of unprimed mice and during the first week after injecting pristane. From 4 to 20 weeks, the concentration of IL-6 increased to an apparent plateau with concentrations ranging from 200 to 2,000 U/mL. Increasing the dose of pristane did not substantially increase the peritoneal levels of IL-6 established at 20 weeks after pristane treatment. At later times (by day 250), the level decreased to 263 +/- 217 U/mL. However, mice that developed plasma cell tumors around day 300 showed high levels of IL-6 in the ascites fluid (650 to 2,400 U/mL). Serum levels of IL-6 were also elevated in pristane-primed mice but were substantially lower than those found in the peritoneal cavity. Chronic administration of the nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drug indomethacin decreased the levels of IL-6 by 75% to 80%. Experiments performed in vitro showed that pristane-elicited macrophages secreted low levels of IL-6 constitutively and high levels of IL-6 in the presence of lipopolysaccharide. Both IL-6 and prostaglandin E2 production were inhibited by addition of indomethacin to macrophage cultures in vitro. Treatment of mice with pristane may provide a model system for studying the inflammatory pathways that control IL-6 levels in vivo. The relevance of these results to elucidation of the role of IL-6 in plasma cell tumorigenesis is discussed.

ROLE OF DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE AND ITS SULPHATE IN SYNTHESIS OF TESTOSTERONE BY HUMAN TESTES IN VIVO AND IN VITRO

1970 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
pp. 21-28 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. RAHEJA ◽  
O. J. LUCIS
Keyword(s):  
Free Testosterone ◽  
Testicular Tissue ◽  
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate ◽  
Venous Plasma

SUMMARY The synthesis of testosterone from [4-14C]dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and [7α-3H]dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHEA-S) by human testes in vivo and in vitro was investigated. Neither free testosterone nor free DHEA was found in a perfused testis or the spermatic venous plasma after the infusion of [7α-3H]DHEA-S into the spermatic artery in vivo, whereas 3H-labelled free DHEA, testosterone and androstenedione were isolated after incubation of testicular tissue with the same substrate in vitro. Only 14C-labelled testosterone was found in the spermatic venous effluent and in the testis after infusion of a mixture of equimolar amounts of [7α-3H]-DHEA-S and [4-14C]DHEA into the spermatic artery in vivo. Testosterone containing 3H and 14C was isolated after incubation of testicular tissue with a mixture of the two substrates in vitro.

Normoprolactinaemia in spontaneously hypertensive rats: absence of a close relationship between plasma concentrations of prolactin and systolic blood pressure

1990 ◽  
Vol 125 (3) ◽  
pp. 359-364 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Aguilar ◽  
M. L. Rodríguez-Padilla ◽  
L. Pinilla
Keyword(s):  
Blood Pressure ◽  
Systolic Blood Pressure ◽  
Plasma Concentrations ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Spontaneously Hypertensive ◽  
Close Relationship ◽  
Wistar Kyoto

ABSTRACT Prolactin has been involved in different types of hypertension both in man and in rats. In an attempt to substantiate this hypothesis, we have analysed the correlation between plasma concentrations of prolactin and systolic blood pressure (SBP) in female and male rats from spontaneously hypertensive (SH) and normotensive Wistar–Kyoto strains (30, 60 and 90 days old), as well as in adult female Wistar rats rendered hyperprolactinaemic by the administration of 100 μg testosterone propionate on day 1 of life, or adult males with low plasma concentrations of prolactin after administration of bromocriptine (4 mg/kg per day) over 15 days. Our results indicate a lack of correlation between plasma concentrations of prolactin and SBP since plasma concentrations of prolactin were normal in male and female SH rats and hyper- and hypoprolactinaemia did not affect SBP. In spite of these normal plasma concentrations of prolactin, SH rats showed subtle changes in the secretion of this hormone in vitro and in vivo in response to exogenous serotonin administration and to immobilization. Journal of Endocrinology (1990) 125, 359–364

Hachimijiogan Produces Testosterone in Adult Rat Testes

1988 ◽  
Vol 16 (03n04) ◽  
pp. 93-105 ◽  
Author(s):  
Satoshi Usuki
Keyword(s):  
Male Rats ◽  
In Vivo Study ◽  
Steroid Production ◽  
Adult Rat ◽  
Testosterone Production ◽  
Incubation Study ◽  
Estradiol 17Β

The effect of Hachimijiogan (HZ) and Keishibukuryogan (KB) on the steroid production in rats was examined in vivo and in vitro. In an in vivo study, HZ stimulated the testes from ten-week old male rats to produce testoterone, whereas KB decreased the tissue testosterone concentrations. The Δ4-androstenedione and estradiol-17β (E2) showed no significant changes. In an incubation study, HZ also stimulated the testosterone production. The data suggested that HZ produces testosterone in rat testes. The role of KB is questionable.

Interactions between N-methyl-D-aspartate, nitric oxide and serotonin in the control of prolactin secretion in prepubertal male rats

1997 ◽  
pp. 99-106 ◽  
Author(s):  
E Aguilar ◽  
M Tena-Sempere ◽  
R Aguilar ◽  
D Gonzalez ◽  
L Pinilla
Keyword(s):  
Nitric Oxide ◽  
Nmda Antagonist ◽  
Prolactin Secretion ◽  
No Synthase ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Serotonin Synthesis ◽  
Mk 801

The role of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) in the control of prolactin (PRL) secretion was analysed in prepubertal male rats. In experiment 1, males of different ages were decapitated after administration of NMDA or vehicle. In experiment 2, 30-day-old males were killed at different times after administration of vehicle, NMDA, MK-801 (a non-competitive NMDA antagonist) or NMDA plus MK-801. In experiment 3, 23-day-old males were sham-orchidectomized or orchidectomized. Orchidectomized males were or were not implanted with Silastic capsules containing different amounts of testosterone. On day 30, the animals were decapitated after administration of vehicle, NMDA or MK-801. In experiment 4, 30-day-old male rats were decapitated after being injected with vehicle, NMDA, Nw-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester (NAME) (an inhibitor of nitric oxide (NO) synthase), or NMDA plus NAME. Serum PRL concentrations, and dopamine pituitary and hypothalamic content were measured. In experiment 5, males pretreated with vehicle or NAME were killed after administration of the precursor of serotonin synthesis 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP), the 5-HT1 receptor agonist 8-hydroxy-2-(di-n-propylamino) tetralin (8-OH-DPAT) or the 5-HT2 agonist (+/-) 2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodoamphetamine hydrochloride (DOI). Finally, the effects of NMDA, NAME and sodium nitroprusside (SNP) were tested in dispersed adenohypophyseal cells. We found that: (1) antagonism of NMDA receptors with MK-801 decreased PRL secretion in intact, orchidectomized and orchidectomized-testosterone treated male rats; (ii) NMDA inhibited PRL release in vivo through an increase in dopamine release and this effect was potentiated by NAME and prevented by testosterone; (iii) NMDA inhibited PRL, secretion in vitro and this effect was observed in presence of both SNP and NAME; (iv) NAME blocked the stimulatory effects of 5-HTP and DOI on PRL secretion. We conclude that endogenous glutamate stimulates PRL release and that NO might have a pivotal role in the mechanisms involved in the control of PRL release, inhibiting the release of dopamine and modulating the effects of NMDA and 5-HT.

AN ASSESSMENT OF THE POSSIBLE ROLE OF 17α,20α-DIHYDROXY-4-PREGNEN-3-ONE IN THE REGULATION OF TESTOSTERONE SYNTHESIS BY RAT AND RABBIT TESTIS

1974 ◽  
Vol 61 (3) ◽  
pp. 401-410 ◽  
Author(s):  
H. W. A. de BRUIJN ◽  
H. J. van der MOLEN
Keyword(s):  
Venous Blood ◽  
Competitive Inhibitor ◽  
Testicular Tissue ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Interstitial Tissue ◽  
Lyase Activity ◽  
Testosterone Biosynthesis

SUMMARY 17α,20α-Dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one is a competitive inhibitor of C17,20-lyase activity in rat testicular tissue in vitro and the significance of this inhibition in vitro was evaluated for testosterone biosynthesis in rat and rabbit testis in vivo. It is concluded that 17α,20α-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one is not involved in the regulation of C17,20-activity in vivo, because it was not possible to detect any 17α,20α-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one in rat and rabbit testicular tissue or in testicular venous blood. If present, the levels are lower than 10 pmol/g testis. Levels of 17α-hydroxyprogester-one are in the order of 50 pmol/g testis. The C17,20-lyase has a higher affinity for 17α-hydroxyprogesterone than for 17α,20α-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one and hence inhibition under in-vivo conditions is not favoured. In rat testes the 20α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activity, which can convert 17α-hydroxyprogesterone to 17α,20α-dihydroxy-4-pregnen-3-one, was found to be mainly (97%) localized in the seminiferous tubules and not at the site of testosterone formation in the interstitial tissue.

scholarly journals Elevation of interleukin-6 in response to a chronic inflammatory stimulus in mice: inhibition by indomethacin

Blood ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 194-202
Author(s):  
E Shacter ◽  
GK Arzadon ◽  
J Williams
Keyword(s):  
Plasma Cell ◽  
Peritoneal Cavity ◽  
Interleukin 6 ◽  
Chronic Administration ◽  
Inflammatory Cells ◽  
Serum Levels ◽  
Chronic Inflammatory Response

Intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of a mineral oil such as pristane induces a chronic inflammatory response in mice. This is characterized by a large influx of macrophages and other inflammatory cells into the peritoneal cavity for months after injection of the oil. By using the B9 cell bioassay, it was found that injection of pristane caused a marked and prolonged elevation of interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels in the peritoneal cavities of the mice. IL-6 was undetectable (less than 15 U/mL) in the peritoneal fluids of unprimed mice and during the first week after injecting pristane. From 4 to 20 weeks, the concentration of IL-6 increased to an apparent plateau with concentrations ranging from 200 to 2,000 U/mL. Increasing the dose of pristane did not substantially increase the peritoneal levels of IL-6 established at 20 weeks after pristane treatment. At later times (by day 250), the level decreased to 263 +/- 217 U/mL. However, mice that developed plasma cell tumors around day 300 showed high levels of IL-6 in the ascites fluid (650 to 2,400 U/mL). Serum levels of IL-6 were also elevated in pristane-primed mice but were substantially lower than those found in the peritoneal cavity. Chronic administration of the nonsteroidal anti- inflammatory drug indomethacin decreased the levels of IL-6 by 75% to 80%. Experiments performed in vitro showed that pristane-elicited macrophages secreted low levels of IL-6 constitutively and high levels of IL-6 in the presence of lipopolysaccharide. Both IL-6 and prostaglandin E2 production were inhibited by addition of indomethacin to macrophage cultures in vitro. Treatment of mice with pristane may provide a model system for studying the inflammatory pathways that control IL-6 levels in vivo. The relevance of these results to elucidation of the role of IL-6 in plasma cell tumorigenesis is discussed.

scholarly journals Leptin inhibits testosterone secretion from adult rat testis in vitro

1999 ◽  
Vol 161 (2) ◽  
pp. 211-218 ◽  
Author(s):  
M Tena-Sempere ◽  
L Pinilla ◽  
LC Gonzalez ◽  
C Dieguez ◽  
FF Casanueva ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Adult Male ◽  
Reproductive Function ◽  
Serum Testosterone ◽  
Testicular Tissue ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Adult Rat ◽  
Testosterone Secretion

Leptin, the product of the ob gene, has emerged recently as a pivotal signal in the regulation of fertility. Although the actions of leptin in the control of reproductive function are thought to be exerted mainly at the hypothalamic level, the potential direct effects of leptin at the pituitary and gonadal level have been poorly characterised. In the present study, we first assessed the ability of leptin to regulate testicular testosterone secretion in vitro. Secondly, we aimed to evaluate whether leptin can modulate basal gonadotrophin and prolactin (PRL) release by incubated hemi-pituitaries from fasted male rats. To attain the first goal, testicular slices from prepubertal and adult rats were incubated with increasing concentrations (10(-9)-10(-7) M) of recombinant leptin. Assuming that in vitro testicular responsiveness to leptin may be dependent on the background leptin levels, testicular tissue from both food-deprived and normally-fed animals was used. Furthermore, leptin modulation of stimulated testosterone secretion was evaluated by incubation of testicular samples with different doses of leptin in the presence of 10 IU human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). In addition, analysis of leptin actions on pituitary function was carried out using hemi-pituitaries from fasted adult male rats incubated in the presence of increasing concentrations (10(-9)-10(-7) M) of recombinant leptin. Serum testosterone levels, and basal and hCG-stimulated testosterone secretion by incubated testicular tissue were significantly decreased by fasting in prepubertal and adult male rats. However, a significant reduction in circulating LH levels was only evident in adult fasted rats. Doses of 10(-9)-10(-7) M leptin had no effect on basal or hCG-stimulated testosterone secretion by testes from prepubertal rats, regardless of the nutritional state of the donor animal. In contrast, leptin significantly decreased basal and hCG-induced testosterone secretion by testes from fasted and fed adult rats. In addition, 10(-9) M leptin inhibited LH and FSH secretion by incubated hemi-pituitaries from fasted adult males, whereas, at all doses tested, it was ineffective in modulating PRL release. Our results show that leptin, depending on the state of sexual maturation, is able to inhibit testosterone secretion acting at the testicular level. Furthermore, the present data suggest that the actions of leptin on the reproductive system are complex and are probably carried out at different levels of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis.

Selective role of neuropeptide Y receptor subtype Y2 in the control of gonadotropin secretion in the rat

2007 ◽  
Vol 293 (5) ◽  
pp. E1385-E1392 ◽  
Author(s):  
L. Pinilla ◽  
R. Fernández-Fernández ◽  
J. Roa ◽  
J. M. Castellano ◽  
M. Tena-Sempere ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Neuropeptide Y ◽  
Male Rats ◽  
Receptor Subtype ◽  
Central Administration ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Gonadotropin Secretion ◽  
Gonadotropic Axis ◽  
The Impact

Different signals with key roles in energy homeostasis regulate the reproductive axis. These include neuropeptide Y and polypeptide YY3-36, whose type Y2 receptor is the most abundant of this family in the brain. We evaluated herein the putative roles of Y2 receptors in the control of gonadotropin secretion by means of central administration of PYY13-36 (agonist of Y2 receptors) and BIIE 0246 (antagonist of Y2 receptors) to intact and orchidectomized male rats. In addition, the ability of PYY13-36 to elicit GnRH and gonadotropin secretion in vitro and the impact of fasting on LH responses to PYY13-36 in vivo were also monitored. Central administration of PYY13-36 significantly decreased the circulating levels of both gonadotropins, an effect that was observed in prepubertal and adult rats. Yet a dual action of Y2 receptors in the control of male gonadotropic axis was evidenced as their activation induced 1) stimulation of gonadotropin responses to GnRH at the pituitary but 2) inhibition of GnRH secretion at the hypothalamus. Antagonization of Y2 receptors failed to modify basal LH secretion in intact males either after being fed ad libitum or after being fasted. In contrast, their central blockade in orchidectomized rats evoked a significant increase in circulating LH and FSH level, suggesting the constitutive activation of Y2 receptor in such stimulated conditions. In summary, our data evidence a complex mode of action of Y2 receptors in the control of gonadotropic axis, with stimulatory and inhibitory actions at different levels of the system that are sensitive to the gonadal status.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document