Biomedical subjects

A Mayen

Publications and source records attributed to A Mayen.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Increased expression of alpha- and beta-globin mRNAs at the pituitary following exposure to estrogen during the critical period of neonatal sex differentiation in the rat.

Deterioration of reproductive health in human and wildlife species during the past decades has drawn considerable attention to the potential adverse effects of exposure to xenosteroids during sensitive periods of sex development. The hypothalamic-pituitary (HP) unit is a key element in the neuroendocrine system controlling development and function of the reproductive axis; the HP unit being highly sensitive to the organizing effects of endogenous and exogenous sex steroids. To gain knowledge on the molecular mode of action and potential biomarkers of exposure to estrogenic compounds at the HP unit, we screened for differentially expressed genes at the pituitary and hypothalamus of rats after neonatal exposure to estradiol benzoate. Our analyses identified persistent up-regulation of alpha- and beta-globin mRNAs at the pituitary following neonatal estrogenization. This finding was confirmed by combination of RT-PCR analyses and in situ hybridization. Induction of alpha- and beta-globin mRNA expression at the pituitary by neonatal exposure to estrogen was demonstrated as dose-dependent and it was persistently detected up to puberty. In contrast, durable up-regulation of alpha- and beta-globin genes was not detected at the hypothalamus, cortex, cerebellum, liver and testis. Finally, enhanced levels of alpha- and beta-globin mRNAs at the pituitary were also demonstrated after neonatal administration of the anti-androgen flutamide. In summary, alpha- and beta-globin genes may prove as sensitive, pituitary-specific biomarkers of exposure to estrogenic (and/or anti-androgenic) compounds at critical periods of sex development, whose potential in the assessment of endocrine disrupting events at the HP unit merits further investigation.

Animals↗

PubMed2005

Effects of KiSS-1 peptide, the natural ligand of GPR54, on follicle-stimulating hormone secretion in the rat.

KiSS-1 was originally identified as a metastasis suppressor gene encoding an array of structurally related peptides, namely kisspeptins, which acting through the G protein-coupled receptor GPR54 are able to inhibit tumor progression. Unexpectedly, a reproductive facet of this newly discovered system has recently arisen, and characterization of the role of the KiSS-1/GPR54 system in the neuroendocrine control of gonadotropin secretion has been initiated. However, such studies have been so far mostly restricted to LH, and very little is known about the actual contribution of this system in the regulation of FSH release. To address this issue, the effects of KiSS-1 peptide on FSH secretion were monitored in vivo and in vitro under different experimental conditions. Intracerebroventricular administration of KiSS-1 peptide significantly stimulated FSH secretion in prepubertal and adult rats. Yet, dose-response analyses in vivo demonstrated an ED(50) value for the FSH-releasing effects of KiSS-1 of 400 pmol, i.e. approximately 100-fold higher than that of LH. In addition, systemic (ip and iv) injection of KiSS-1 significantly stimulated FSH secretion in vivo. However, KiSS-1 failed to elicit basal FSH release directly at the pituitary level, although it moderately enhanced GnRH-stimulated FSH secretion in vitro. Finally, mechanistic studies revealed that the ability of KiSS-1 to elicit FSH secretion was abolished by the blockade of endogenous GnRH actions, but it was persistently observed in different models of leptin insufficiency and after blockade of endogenous excitatory amino acid and nitric oxide pathways, i.e. relevant signals in the neuroendocrine control of gonadotropin secretion. In summary, our results extend previous recent observations on the role of KiSS-1 in the control of LH secretion and provide solid evidence for a stimulatory effect of KiSS-1 on FSH release, acting at central level. Overall, it is proposed that the KiSS-1/GPR54 system is a novel, pivotal downstream element in the neuroendocrine network governing gonadotropin secretion.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Advanced vaginal opening and precocious activation of the reproductive axis by KiSS-1 peptide, the endogenous ligand of GPR54.

The awakening of the gonadotrophic axis at puberty is the end-point of a complex cascade of sex developmental events that leads to the attainment of reproductive capacity. Recently, loss-of-function mutations of the gene encoding GPR54, the putative receptor for the KiSS-1-derived peptide metastin, have been linked to hypogonadotrophic hypogonadism, both in rodents and humans. However, the actual role of the KiSS-1/GPR54 system in the timing of puberty onset remains unexplored. We report herein that chronic central administration of KiSS-1 peptide to immature female rats induced the precocious activation of the gonadotrophic axis, as estimated by advanced vaginal opening, elevated uterus weight, and increased serum levels of luteinizing hormone (LH) and oestrogen. The central effect of KiSS-1 upon LH release appeared to be mediated via the hypothalamic LH-releasing hormone. In contrast, despite the well-documented permissive role of body fat stores and the adipocyte-derived hormone leptin in puberty maturation, acute activation of the gonadotrophic axis by KiSS-1 was persistently observed in pubertal animals under food deprivation, after central immunoneutralization of leptin, and in a model of leptin resistance. Overall, the present results, together with our recent data on maximum expression of KiSS-1 and GPR54 genes in the hypothalamus at puberty, provide novel evidence for a role of the KiSS-1 system as a downstream element in the hypothalamic network triggering the onset of puberty.

Animals↗

PubMed2004

Characterization of the potent luteinizing hormone-releasing activity of KiSS-1 peptide, the natural ligand of GPR54.

Loss-of-function mutations of the gene encoding GPR54, the putative receptor for the KiSS-1-derived peptide metastin, have been recently associated with hypogonadotropic hypogonadism, in both rodents and humans. Yet the actual role of the KiSS-1/GPR54 system in the neuroendocrine control of gonadotropin secretion remains largely unexplored. To initiate such analysis, the effects of KiSS-1 peptide on LH secretion were monitored using in vivo and in vitro settings under different experimental conditions. Central intracerebroventricular administration of KiSS-1 peptide potently elicited LH secretion in vivo over a range of doses from 10 pmol to 1 nmol. The effect of centrally injected KiSS-1 appeared to be mediated via the hypothalamic LHRH. However, no effect of central administration of KiSS-1 was detected on relative LHRH mRNA levels. Likewise, systemic (i.p. and i.v.) injection of KiSS-1 markedly stimulated LH secretion. This effect was similar in terms of maximum response to that of central administration of KiSS-1 and might be partially attributed to its ability to stimulate LH secretion directly at the pituitary. Finally, the LH-releasing activity of KiSS-1 was persistently observed after blockade of endogenous excitatory amino acid and nitric oxide pathways, i.e. relevant neurotransmitters in the neuroendocrine control of LH secretion. In summary, our results provide solid evidence for a potent stimulatory effect of KiSS-1 on LH release, acting at central levels (likely the hypothalamus) and eventually at the pituitary, and further document a novel role of the KiSS-1/GPR54 system as a relevant downstream element in the neuroendocrine network governing LH secretion.

Animals↗

PubMed2003

Regulation of estrogen receptor (ER) isoform messenger RNA expression by different ER ligands in female rat pituitary.

Net estrogen sensitivity in target tissues critically depends on the regulated expression of full-length and alternately processed estrogen receptor (ER) isoforms. However, the molecular mechanisms for the control of pituitary responsiveness to estrogen remain partially unknown. In the present communication, we report the ability of different ligands, with distinct agonistic or antagonistic properties at the ER, to modulate the expression of the transcripts encoding ERalpha and ERbeta isoforms, as well as those for the truncated ERalpha product (TERP), and the variant ERbeta2, in pituitaries from ovariectomized rats, i.e., a background devoid of endogenous estrogen. Compared with expression levels at the morning of proestrus, ovariectomy (OVX) resulted in increased pituitary expression of ERbeta and ERbeta2 mRNAs, whereas it decreased TERP-1 and -2 levels without affecting those of ERalpha. Administration of estradiol benzoate (as potent agonist for alpha and beta forms of ER) or the selective ERalpha agonist, propyl pyrazole triol, fully reversed the responses to OVX, while the ERbeta ligand, diarylpropionitrile, failed to induce any significant effect except for a partial stimulation of TERP-1 and -2 mRNA expression levels. To note, the ERbeta agonist was also ineffective in altering pituitary expression of progesterone receptor-B mRNA, i.e., a major estrogen-responsive target. In all parameters tested, tamoxifen, a selective ER modulator with mixed agonist/antagonist activity, behaved as ERalpha agonist, although the magnitude of tamoxifen effects was significantly lower than those of the ERalpha ligand, except for TERP induction. In contrast, the pure antiestrogen RU-58668 did not modify the expression of any of the targets under analysis. Overall, our results indicate that endogenous estrogen differentially regulates pituitary expression of the mRNAs encoding several ER isoforms with distinct functional properties, by a mechanism that is mostly conducted through ERalpha. Differential regulation of ER isoforms may represent a relevant system for the self-tuning of estrogen responsiveness in female pituitary.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Anandamide, a natural ligand for the peripheral cannabinoid receptor is a novel synergistic growth factor for hematopoietic cells.

We recently demonstrated that the gene encoding the peripheral cannabinoid receptor (Cb2) may be a proto-oncogene involved in murine myeloid leukemias. We show here that Cb2 may have a role in hematopoietic development. RNAse protection analysis showed that Cb2 is normally expressed in spleen and thymus. Cb2 mRNA is also expressed in 45 of 51 cell lines of distinct hematopoietic lineages, ie, myeloid, macrophage, mast, B-lymphoid, T-lymphoid, and erythroid cells. The effect of the fatty acid anandamide, an endogenous ligand for cannabinoid receptors, on primary murine marrow cells and hematopoietic growth factor (HGF)-dependent cell lines was then investigated. In vitro colony cultures of normal mouse bone marrow cells showed anandamide to potentiate interleukin-3 (IL-3)-induced colony growth markedly. Whereas HGFs alone stimulate proliferation of the various cell lines in serum-free culture only weakly, anandamide enhances the proliferative response of the cell lines to HGFs profoundly. This was apparent for responses induced by IL-3, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, and erythropoietin. Anandamide was already effective at concentrations as low as 0.1 to 0.3 micromol/L and plateau effects were reached at 0.3 to 3 micromol/L. The addition of anandamide as single growth factor had no effect. The costimulatory effect of anandamide was not evident when cells were cultured with fetal calf serum (FCS), suggesting that FCS contains anandamide or another ligand capable of activating the peripheral cannabinoid receptor. Other cannabinoid ligands did not enhance the proliferative responsiveness of hematopoietic cells to HGFs. Transfection experiments of Cb2 in myeloid 32D cells showed that anandamide specifically activates proliferation through activation of the peripheral cannabinoid receptor. Anandamide appears to be a novel and synergistic growth stimulator for hematopoietic cells.

Animals↗

PubMed1997

Does transmembrane communication through gap junctions enable stem cells to overcome stromal inhibition?

When long-term bone marrow cultures are treated with Amphotericin B (AB) their haemopoietic stem cells (HSC) cease growing. This is not a toxic effect of the drug because once that is removed, HSC resume clonal growth and, given sufficient time, form as many cells as HSC in untreated cultures. Amphotericin B-evoked inhibition of blood formation is probably mediated by transmembrane communication between HSC and stroma for the following reasons: (1) AB does not stop HSC forming colony-forming units in culture (CFU-c) when HSC are separated from stroma by culturing them on Transwell inserts above the stroma. (2) Conditioned media (CM) from AB-containing or normal long-term cultures (LTC) does not inhibit normal marrow cells forming colonies in semi-solid cultures without stromal underlays. (3) AB itself does not stop bone marrow cells forming colonies in semi-solid cultures nor does it stop stromal cells growing or prejudice their long-term maintenance. (4) Furthermore, growing stromal cells with AB does not alter the number of transcripts they form for cytokines and chemokines to any large extent, including TGF-beta1. We have extensive, though circumstantial, evidence that gap junctions are involved in this communication. AB only stopped the growth of HSC when we blocked intercellular communication via gap junctions (GJIC) (tested by micro-injection of lucifer yellow). Lipophilic compounds that do not affect GJIC had no effect on the growth of HSC. Looking at a series of stromal cell lines from foetal liver and neonatal bone marrow we found that extensive GJIC correlated with stromal support of the late-appearing clones formed by primitive HSC (week 3-5 cobblestone-area forming cells, CAFC). We propose that the proliferation of HSC is regulated via transmembrane communication between stromal and HSC. Our findings support the proposal that gap junctions play a part in this stromal-dependent regulation.

Amphotericin B↗