scholarly journals Melatonin and Myo-Inositol: Supporting Reproduction from the Oocyte to Birth

2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (16) ◽  
pp. 8433
Author(s):  
Michele Russo ◽  
Gianpiero Forte ◽  
Mario Montanino Oliva ◽  
Antonio Simone Laganà ◽  
Vittorio Unfer
Keyword(s):  
Fertilization Rate ◽  
Cellular Events ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
Embryo Formation ◽  
New Birth ◽  
Reproduction Process ◽  
Human Reproductive ◽  
Representative Member ◽  
Molecular Crosstalk

Human pregnancy is a sequence of events finely tuned by several molecular interactions that come with a new birth. The precise interlocking of these events affecting the reproductive system guarantees safe embryo formation and fetal development. In this scenario, melatonin and myo-inositol seem to be pivotal not only in the physiology of the reproduction process, but also in the promotion of positive gestational outcomes. Evidence demonstrates that melatonin, beyond the role of circadian rhythm management, is a key controller of human reproductive functions. Similarly, as the most representative member of the inositol’s family, myo-inositol is essential in ensuring correct advancing of reproductive cellular events. The molecular crosstalk mediated by these two species is directly regulated by their availability in the human body. To date, biological implications of unbalanced amounts of melatonin and myo-inositol in each pregnancy step are growing the idea that these molecules actively contribute to reduce negative outcomes and improve the fertilization rate. Clinical data suggest that melatonin and myo-inositol may constitute an optimal dietary supplementation to sustain safe human gestation and a new potential way to prevent pregnancy-associated pathologies.

Active role of embryonic facial epithelium: New evidence of cellular events in morphogenesis

Development ◽  
1981 ◽  
Vol 63 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-66
Author(s):  
Guillermo Millicovsky ◽  
Malcolm C. Johnston
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Mouse Embryo ◽  
Cleft Lip ◽  
Normal Development ◽  
Active Role ◽  
Temporal Sequence ◽  
Cellular Events ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
New Evidence

Epithelial cells of the C57B1/6J mouse embryo participate in a temporal sequence of events associated with the approximation, fusion and consolidation of components of the facial primordia into a definitive structure. These cells lose their surface microvilli, and after a brief period of quiescence they begin to fill the grooves separating facial constituents by producing a series of surface projections that increase in size and complexity as the process of fusion nears termination. Cessation of surface activity and the restoration of epithelial microvilli indicate the end of the temporal sequence. Significantly, the epithelial cells of rimary palates of embryos with genetically- and phenytoin-induced cleft lip remain unchanged and do not participate in fusion. This epithelial sequence has not been described previously and we suggest that all of its steps may be critical to the normal development of the mammalian face.

scholarly journals Deleted in malignant brain tumor 1 is secreted in the oviduct and involved in the mechanism of fertilization in equine and porcine species

Reproduction ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 146 (2) ◽  
pp. 119-133 ◽  
Author(s):  
Barbara Ambruosi ◽  
Gianluca Accogli ◽  
Cécile Douet ◽  
Sylvie Canepa ◽  
Géraldine Pascal ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Brain Tumor ◽  
Western Blot ◽  
Immunohistochemical Analysis ◽  
Fertilization Rate ◽  
Malignant Brain Tumor ◽  
Estrus Cycle ◽  
Immunofluorescence Analysis ◽  
Oviductal Fluid ◽  
Porcine Spermatozoa

Oviductal environment affects preparation of gametes for fertilization, fertilization itself, and subsequent embryonic development. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of oviductal fluid and the possible involvement of deleted in malignant brain tumor 1 (DMBT1) on IVF in porcine and equine species that represent divergent IVF models. We first performed IVF after pre-incubation of oocytes with or without oviductal fluid supplemented or not with antibodies directed against DMBT1. We showed that oviductal fluid induces an increase in the monospermic fertilization rate and that this effect is canceled by the addition of antibodies, in both porcine and equine species. Moreover, pre-incubation of oocytes with recombinant DMBT1 induces an increase in the monospermic fertilization rate in the pig, confirming an involvement of DMBT1 in the fertilization process. The presence of DMBT1 in the oviduct at different stages of the estrus cycle was shown by western blot and confirmed by immunohistochemical analysis of ampulla and isthmus regions. The presence of DMBT1 in cumulus–oocyte complexes was shown by western blot analysis, and the localization of DMBT1 in the zona pellucida and cytoplasm of equine and porcine oocytes was observed using immunofluorescence analysis and confocal microscopy. Moreover, we showed an interaction between DMBT1 and porcine spermatozoa using surface plasmon resonance studies. Finally, a bioinformatic and phylogenetic analysis allowed us to identify the DMBT1 protein as well as a DMBT1-like protein in several mammals. Our results strongly suggest an important role of DMBT1 in the process of fertilization.

scholarly journals Roles of pRB in the Regulation of Nucleosome and Chromatin Structures

2016 ◽  
Vol 2016 ◽  
pp. 1-11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Chiharu Uchida
Keyword(s):  
Target Genes ◽  
Chromosome Instability ◽  
Cancer Therapies ◽  
Induce Cell Cycle Arrest ◽  
Cellular Events ◽  
Cycle Arrest ◽  
Histone Modifiers ◽  
Physical Interactions ◽  
Functional Inactivation

Retinoblastoma protein (pRB) interacts with E2F and other protein factors to play a pivotal role in regulating the expression of target genes that induce cell cycle arrest, apoptosis, and differentiation. pRB controls the local promoter activity and has the ability to change the structure of nucleosomes and/or chromosomes via histone modification, epigenetic changes, chromatin remodeling, and chromosome organization. Functional inactivation of pRB perturbs these cellular events and causes dysregulated cell growth and chromosome instability, which are hallmarks of cancer cells. The role of pRB in regulation of nucleosome/chromatin structures has been shown to link to tumor suppression. This review focuses on the ability of pRB to control nucleosome/chromatin structures via physical interactions with histone modifiers and chromatin factors and describes cancer therapies based on targeting these protein factors.

scholarly journals Adiponectin: Structure, Physiological Functions, Role in Diseases, and Effects of Nutrition

Nutrients ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 1180
Author(s):  
Kayvan Khoramipour ◽  
Karim Chamari ◽  
Amirhosein Ahmadi Hekmatikar ◽  
Amirhosein Ziyaiyan ◽  
Shima Taherkhani ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cardiovascular Disease ◽  
Amino Acids ◽  
Molecular Weight ◽  
Energy Regulation ◽  
Treatment Interventions ◽  
Adipose Tissues ◽  
Physiological Functions ◽  
Cellular Events ◽  
Healthy Nutrition

Adiponectin (a protein consisting of 244 amino acids and characterized by a molecular weight of 28 kDa) is a cytokine that is secreted from adipose tissues (adipokine). Available evidence suggests that adiponectin is involved in a variety of physiological functions, molecular and cellular events, including lipid metabolism, energy regulation, immune response and inflammation, and insulin sensitivity. It has a protective effect on neurons and neural stem cells. Adiponectin levels have been reported to be negatively correlated with cancer, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes, and shown to be affected (i.e., significantly increased) by proper healthy nutrition. The present review comprehensively overviews the role of adiponectin in a range of diseases, showing that it can be used as a biomarker for diagnosing these disorders as well as a target for monitoring the effectiveness of preventive and treatment interventions.

scholarly journals Possible Protective Role of Melatonin in Pediatric Infectious Diseases and Neurodevelopmental Pathologies

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (01) ◽  
pp. e104-e109
Author(s):  
Antonio Molina-Carballo ◽  
Antonio Emilio Jerez-Calero ◽  
Antonio Muñoz-Hoyos
Keyword(s):  
Endothelial Cell ◽  
Free Radical ◽  
Chronic Administration ◽  
Protective Role ◽  
Free Radical Scavenger ◽  
Radical Scavenger ◽  
Energetic Metabolism ◽  
Beneficial Effects ◽  
Molecular Crosstalk

AbstractMelatonin, produced in every cell that possesses mitochondria, acts as an endogenous free radical scavenger, and improves energetic metabolism and immune function, by complex molecular crosstalk with other intracellular compounds. There is greatly increasing evidence regarding beneficial effects of acute and chronic administration of high melatonin doses, in infectious, developmental, and degenerative pathologies, as an endothelial cell and every cell protectant.

scholarly journals What Is the Metabolic Amplification of Insulin Secretion and Is It (Still) Relevant?

Metabolites ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 355
Author(s):  
Ingo Rustenbeck ◽  
Torben Schulze ◽  
Mai Morsi ◽  
Mohammed Alshafei ◽  
Uwe Panten
Keyword(s):  
Insulin Secretion ◽  
Beta Cell ◽  
Adenine Nucleotides ◽  
Pancreatic Beta Cell ◽  
Secretory Response ◽  
Mitochondrial Activity ◽  
Insulin Synthesis ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
Insulin Granules

The pancreatic beta-cell transduces the availability of nutrients into the secretion of insulin. While this process is extensively modified by hormones and neurotransmitters, it is the availability of nutrients, above all glucose, which sets the process of insulin synthesis and secretion in motion. The central role of the mitochondria in this process was identified decades ago, but how changes in mitochondrial activity are coupled to the exocytosis of insulin granules is still incompletely understood. The identification of ATP-sensitive K+-channels provided the link between the level of adenine nucleotides and the electrical activity of the beta cell, but the depolarization-induced Ca2+-influx into the beta cells, although necessary for stimulated secretion, is not sufficient to generate the secretion pattern as produced by glucose and other nutrient secretagogues. The metabolic amplification of insulin secretion is thus the sequence of events that enables the secretory response to a nutrient secretagogue to exceed the secretory response to a purely depolarizing stimulus and is thus of prime importance. Since the cataplerotic export of mitochondrial metabolites is involved in this signaling, an orienting overview on the topic of nutrient secretagogues beyond glucose is included. Their judicious use may help to define better the nature of the signals and their mechanism of action.

Peripheral muscarinic control of norepinephrine release in the cardiovascular system

1980 ◽  
Vol 239 (6) ◽  
pp. H713-H720 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Muscholl
Keyword(s):  
Physiological Role ◽  
Sympathetic Nerves ◽  
Adrenergic Nerve ◽  
Sequence Of Events ◽  
Adrenergic Response ◽  
Adrenergic Nerve Terminals ◽  
Muscarinic Cholinergic ◽  
Related Compounds ◽  
Stimulation Of

Activation of muscarinic cholinergic receptors located at the terminal adrenergic nerve fiber inhibits the process of exocytotic norepinephrine (NE) release. This neuromodulatory effect of acetylcholine and related compounds has been discovered as a pharmacological phenomenon. Subsequently, evidence for a physiological role of the presynaptic muscarinic inhibition was obtained on organs known to be innervated by the autonomic ground plexus (Hillarp, Acta. Physiol. Scand. 46, Suppl. 157: 1-68, 1959) in which terminal adrenergic and cholinergic axons run side by side. Thus, in the heart electrical vagal stimulation inhibits the release of NE evoked by stimulation of sympathetic nerves, and this is reflected by a corresponding decrease in the postsynaptic adrenergic response. On the other hand, muscarinic antagonists such as atropine enhance the NE release evoked by field stimulation of tissues innervated by the autonomic ground plexus. The presynaptic muscarine receptor of adrenergic nerve terminals probably restricts the influx of calcium ions that triggers the release of NE. However, the sequence of events between recognition of the muscarinic compound by the receptor and the process of exocytosis still remains to be clarified.

scholarly journals PACAP-mediated sperm–cumulus cell interaction promotes fertilization

Reproduction ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 141 (2) ◽  
pp. 163-171 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ichiro Tanii ◽  
Tadashi Aradate ◽  
Kouhei Matsuda ◽  
Akira Komiya ◽  
Hideki Fuse
Keyword(s):  
Sperm Motility ◽  
Acrosome Reaction ◽  
Cumulus Cell ◽  
Cumulus Cells ◽  
Cell Interaction ◽  
Fertilization Rate ◽  
Type I ◽  
Dependent Manner ◽  
Sperm Penetration

The developing acrosome in spermatids contains pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP). However, the role of the acrosomal PACAP remains unclear because it has not been detected in mature spermatids and sperm. We reinvestigated whether the sperm acrosome contains PACAP. An antiserum produced against PACAP reacted to the anterior acrosome in epididymal sperm fixed under mild conditions, suggesting that PACAP acts on oocytes and/or cumulus cells at the site of fertilization. Immunolabeling and RT-PCR demonstrated the presence of PACAP type I receptor, a PACAP-specific receptor, in postovulatory cumulus cells. To investigate the role of PACAP in fertilization, we pretreated cumulus–oocyte complexes with the polypeptide. At a low concentration of sperm, the fertilization rate was significantly enhanced by PACAP in a dose-dependent manner. Sperm penetration through the oocyte investment, cumulus layer, and zona pellucida was also enhanced by PACAP. The enhancement was probably due to an enhancement in sperm motility and the zona-induced acrosome reaction, which were stimulated by a cumulus cell-releasing factor. Indeed, PACAP treatment increased the secretion of progesterone from the cumulus–oocyte complexes. These results strongly suggest that in response to PACAP, cumulus cells release a soluble factor that probably stimulates sperm motility and the acrosome reaction, thereby promoting fertilization.

scholarly journals TSPO: kaleidoscopic 18-kDa amid biochemical pharmacology, control and targeting of mitochondria

2016 ◽  
Vol 473 (2) ◽  
pp. 107-121 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jemma Gatliff ◽  
Michelangelo Campanella
Keyword(s):  
Neurological Diseases ◽  
Anion Channel ◽  
Translocator Protein ◽  
Endocrine Regulation ◽  
Voltage Dependent Anion Channel ◽  
Steroid Synthesis ◽  
Cellular Processes ◽  
Cellular Events ◽  
Voltage Dependent

The 18-kDa translocator protein (TSPO) localizes in the outer mitochondrial membrane (OMM) of cells and is readily up-regulated under various pathological conditions such as cancer, inflammation, mechanical lesions and neurological diseases. Able to bind with high affinity synthetic and endogenous ligands, its core biochemical function resides in the translocation of cholesterol into the mitochondria influencing the subsequent steps of (neuro-)steroid synthesis and systemic endocrine regulation. Over the years, however, TSPO has also been linked to core cellular processes such as apoptosis and autophagy. It interacts and forms complexes with other mitochondrial proteins such as the voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) via which signalling and regulatory transduction of these core cellular events may be influenced. Despite nearly 40 years of study, the precise functional role of TSPO beyond cholesterol trafficking remains elusive even though the recent breakthroughs on its high-resolution crystal structure and contribution to quality-control signalling of mitochondria. All this along with a captivating pharmacological profile provides novel opportunities to investigate and understand the significance of this highly conserved protein as well as contribute the development of specific therapeutics as presented and discussed in the present review.

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