title: Follistatin concentrations in male sheep increase following sham castration/castration or injection of interleukin-1 beta.
abstract: Plasma follistatin (FS) concentrations were determined after castration (n = 5) or sham castration (n = 4) of mature rams. Both treatments resulted in a prolonged increase in FS between 7 and 19 h after surgery, which returned to pretreatment concentrations by 24 h. Tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), a sensitive maker of an acute-phase response, was undetectable in plasma, indicating that the FS response was not induced by trauma due to surgery. In a second experiment, injection of castrated rams (n = 4) with ovine recombinant interleukin-1 beta, an acute-phase mediator, resulted in a sustained rise in FS concentrations within 4 h of injection. Plasma TNF-alpha concentrations increased transiently within 1 h of interleukin-1 beta injection, indicating that an acute-phase response had been initiated. Plasma follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) concentrations were significantly decreased at 8 and 24 h after interleukin-1 beta injection, strongly suggestive of an inhibitory effect of increased FS concentrations on the secretion of FSH. Injection of castrated rams (n = 2) with a control preparation of recombinant interleukin-2 did not induce an acute-phase response, and plasma FS and FSH concentrations were unaffected. These data show that the testis is not a major source of circulating FS, that the increase in circulating FS following sham castration/castration is not due to an acute-phase response, but that conversely FS concentrations are modulated by the acute-phase mediator, interleukin-1 beta.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Reproduction and Development, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: D J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Phillips
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hedger
authors.forename: J R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: McFarlane
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Klein
authors.forename: I J
authors.initials: IJ
authors.lastname: Clarke
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Tilbrook
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Nash
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: de Kretser
mesh_terms: D000210:Acute-Phase Reaction / Q000097:blood; D000818:Animals; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D038681:Follistatin; D006023:Glycoproteins / Q000097:blood*; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D009919:Orchiectomy; D012756:Sheep / Q000097:blood*; D013997:Time Factors; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D038681:Follistatin; D006023:Glycoproteins; D007375:Interleukin-1; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone