Abstract Melatonin （N-acetyi-5-methoxytryptamine） is a well-known animal hormone, which is synthesized and secreted by pineal gland and takes part in the regulation of circadian rhythm in animals. At present it has ...Abstract Melatonin （N-acetyi-5-methoxytryptamine） is a well-known animal hormone, which is synthesized and secreted by pineal gland and takes part in the regulation of circadian rhythm in animals. At present it has been observed that melatonin is widely existed in higher plants while there have no enough studies on functions of melatonin in plants. Researches have already indicated that the possible functions of melatonin in plants include regulating photoperiod, participating in growth regulation, clearing active oxygen, and promoting activity of antioxidase. General reviews upon functions of melatonin in plants are made upon experiments in recent years. We fo-cus on the demonstrated and predicted biological functions of melatonin in plants to bring researchers up to date on this field. The weakness in present studies and the main research directions are also pointed out.展开更多
Despite heavy consumption over a long period of time, only a small number of alcoholics develop alcoholic liver disease. This alludes to the possibility that other factors, besides alcohol, may be involved in the prog...Despite heavy consumption over a long period of time, only a small number of alcoholics develop alcoholic liver disease. This alludes to the possibility that other factors, besides alcohol, may be involved in the progression of the disease. Over the years, many such factors have indeed been identified, including iron. Despite being crucial for various important biological processes, iron can also be harmful due to its ability to catalyze Fenton chemistry. Alcohol and iron have been shown to interact synergistically to cause liver injury. Iron-mediated cell signaling has been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of experimental alcoholic liver disease. Hepcidin is an iron-regulatory hormone synthesized by the liver, which plays a pivotal role in iron homeostasis. Both acute and chronic alcohol exposure suppress hepcidin expression in the liver. The sera of patients with alcoholic liver disease, particularly those exhibiting higher serum iron indices, have also been reported to display reduced prohepcidin levels. Alcohol-mediated oxidative stress is involved in the inhibition of hepcidin promoter activity and transcription in the liver. This in turn leads to an increase in intestinal iron transport and liver iron storage. Hepcidin is expressed primarily in hepatocytes. It is noteworthy that both hepatocytes and Kupffer cells are involved in the progression of alcoholic liver disease. However, the activation of Kupffer cells and TNF-α signaling has been reported not to be involved in the down-regulation of hepcidin expression by alcohol in the liver. Alcohol acts within the parenchymal cells of the liver to suppress the synthesis of hepcidin. Due to its crucial role in the regulation of body iron stores, hepcidin may act as a secondary risk factor in the progression of alcoholic liver disease. The clarification of the mechanisms by which alcohol disrupts iron homeostasis will allow for further understanding of the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease.展开更多
Northern blot analysis of glutathione S-transferase (GST) Yb1 mRNA in different tissues of male and female rats revealed that its tissue-specific transcription patterns were highly sex hormone related. Although the GS...Northern blot analysis of glutathione S-transferase (GST) Yb1 mRNA in different tissues of male and female rats revealed that its tissue-specific transcription patterns were highly sex hormone related. Although the GST Yb1 mRNA could be detected in most of the tissues examined at various levels, the highest abundance was observed in the ventral prostate, uterus and liver, which were the main target tissue for androgen, estrogen and glucocorticoid respectively The effect of androgen on the transcription of GST Yb1 was also tissue-specific. Since androgen withdrawal by castration caused the up-regulation of GST Yb1 mRNA in the ventral prostate but down-regulation in the liver and no effect in the brain, evaluation of this system for studying the regulation mechanisms of gene expression by which androgen exerts its differential effects has been discussed.展开更多
Objective： To investigate male reproductive parameters via changes of potential testicular protein markers in restraint-stress rats. Methods： Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups （non-immobilized c...Objective： To investigate male reproductive parameters via changes of potential testicular protein markers in restraint-stress rats. Methods： Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups （non-immobilized control and restraint-immobilized/stress groups, n=8 each group）. The stress animals were immobilized （12 h/d） by a restraint cage for 7 consecutive days. All reproductive parameters, morphology and histology were observed and compared between groups. In addition, the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory （STAR） and phosphotyrosine proteins （previously localized in Sertoli and late spermatid cells） in testicular lysate was assayed by immuno-Western blotting. Results： Testosterone level, sperm concentration and sperm head normality of stress rats were significantly decreased while the corticosterone level was increased as compared with the control （P〈0.05）. Histologically, stress rats showed low sperm mass in epididymal lumen and some atrophy of seminiferous tubules. Although the expression of testicular STAR protein was not significantly different between groups, changed patterns of the 131, 95, and 75 kDa testicular phosphorylated proteins were observed in the stress group compared with the control group. The intensity of a tes- ticular 95-kDa phosphorylated protein was significantly decreased in stress rats. Conclusions： This study has demonstrated the alteration of testicular phosphorylated protein patterns, associated with adverse male reproductive parameters in stress rats. It could be an explanation of some infertility in stress males.展开更多
基金Supported by National 863 Project of China(2012AA101801)"Twelfth Five-Year"Plan for Science&Technology Project(2011BAD17B01)Chinese Universities Scientific Fund(2009-2-06)~~
文摘Abstract Melatonin （N-acetyi-5-methoxytryptamine） is a well-known animal hormone, which is synthesized and secreted by pineal gland and takes part in the regulation of circadian rhythm in animals. At present it has been observed that melatonin is widely existed in higher plants while there have no enough studies on functions of melatonin in plants. Researches have already indicated that the possible functions of melatonin in plants include regulating photoperiod, participating in growth regulation, clearing active oxygen, and promoting activity of antioxidase. General reviews upon functions of melatonin in plants are made upon experiments in recent years. We fo-cus on the demonstrated and predicted biological functions of melatonin in plants to bring researchers up to date on this field. The weakness in present studies and the main research directions are also pointed out.
基金Supported by Grants from the Alcoholic Beverage Medical Research Foundation, Redox Biology Center, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, 2P20RR017675NIH grant, R01AA017738-01 to DHF
文摘Despite heavy consumption over a long period of time, only a small number of alcoholics develop alcoholic liver disease. This alludes to the possibility that other factors, besides alcohol, may be involved in the progression of the disease. Over the years, many such factors have indeed been identified, including iron. Despite being crucial for various important biological processes, iron can also be harmful due to its ability to catalyze Fenton chemistry. Alcohol and iron have been shown to interact synergistically to cause liver injury. Iron-mediated cell signaling has been reported to be involved in the pathogenesis of experimental alcoholic liver disease. Hepcidin is an iron-regulatory hormone synthesized by the liver, which plays a pivotal role in iron homeostasis. Both acute and chronic alcohol exposure suppress hepcidin expression in the liver. The sera of patients with alcoholic liver disease, particularly those exhibiting higher serum iron indices, have also been reported to display reduced prohepcidin levels. Alcohol-mediated oxidative stress is involved in the inhibition of hepcidin promoter activity and transcription in the liver. This in turn leads to an increase in intestinal iron transport and liver iron storage. Hepcidin is expressed primarily in hepatocytes. It is noteworthy that both hepatocytes and Kupffer cells are involved in the progression of alcoholic liver disease. However, the activation of Kupffer cells and TNF-α signaling has been reported not to be involved in the down-regulation of hepcidin expression by alcohol in the liver. Alcohol acts within the parenchymal cells of the liver to suppress the synthesis of hepcidin. Due to its crucial role in the regulation of body iron stores, hepcidin may act as a secondary risk factor in the progression of alcoholic liver disease. The clarification of the mechanisms by which alcohol disrupts iron homeostasis will allow for further understanding of the pathogenesis of alcoholic liver disease.
文摘Northern blot analysis of glutathione S-transferase (GST) Yb1 mRNA in different tissues of male and female rats revealed that its tissue-specific transcription patterns were highly sex hormone related. Although the GST Yb1 mRNA could be detected in most of the tissues examined at various levels, the highest abundance was observed in the ventral prostate, uterus and liver, which were the main target tissue for androgen, estrogen and glucocorticoid respectively The effect of androgen on the transcription of GST Yb1 was also tissue-specific. Since androgen withdrawal by castration caused the up-regulation of GST Yb1 mRNA in the ventral prostate but down-regulation in the liver and no effect in the brain, evaluation of this system for studying the regulation mechanisms of gene expression by which androgen exerts its differential effects has been discussed.
基金Project supported by the Postgraduate Study Support Grant and Invitation Research Grant(IN59134),Faculty of MedicineKhon Kaen University,Khon Kaen,Thailand
文摘Objective： To investigate male reproductive parameters via changes of potential testicular protein markers in restraint-stress rats. Methods： Male Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into two groups （non-immobilized control and restraint-immobilized/stress groups, n=8 each group）. The stress animals were immobilized （12 h/d） by a restraint cage for 7 consecutive days. All reproductive parameters, morphology and histology were observed and compared between groups. In addition, the expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory （STAR） and phosphotyrosine proteins （previously localized in Sertoli and late spermatid cells） in testicular lysate was assayed by immuno-Western blotting. Results： Testosterone level, sperm concentration and sperm head normality of stress rats were significantly decreased while the corticosterone level was increased as compared with the control （P〈0.05）. Histologically, stress rats showed low sperm mass in epididymal lumen and some atrophy of seminiferous tubules. Although the expression of testicular STAR protein was not significantly different between groups, changed patterns of the 131, 95, and 75 kDa testicular phosphorylated proteins were observed in the stress group compared with the control group. The intensity of a tes- ticular 95-kDa phosphorylated protein was significantly decreased in stress rats. Conclusions： This study has demonstrated the alteration of testicular phosphorylated protein patterns, associated with adverse male reproductive parameters in stress rats. It could be an explanation of some infertility in stress males.
