title: Role of ghrelin on estrogen and progesterone secretion in the adult rat ovary during estrous cycle.
abstract: The objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of ghrelin on the concentrations of estrogen (E(2)) and progesterone (P(4)) in serum and the mRNA expression of estrogen receptor beta (ER(β)) and progesterone receptor (PR(A+B)) in ovary in rats during estrous cycle. Adult female Sprague Dawley rats were intracerebroventricularly (i.c.v.) injected with 3 nmol ghrelin during the estrous cycle, and sacrificed 15 min later. Blood samples and ovaries were collected. The concentrations of serum E(2) and P(4) were measured by radioimmunoassay, while the amount of ER(β) and PR(A+B) mRNA was assessed by real-time quantitative PCR. Our studies showed that ghrelin could significantly reduce the serum concentration of E(2) throughout the estrous cycle (P < 0.05), the serum level of P(4) (P < 0.05), and the amount of ER(β) mRNA during metestrus (P < 0.05). Meanwhile, the amount of PR(A+B) mRNA was only reduced during diestrus (P < 0.05). Overall, our present findings provide the first evidence that i.c.v. injection of ghrelin could reduce the serum concentration of E(2) and P(4) and the level of ER(β) and PR(A+B) mRNA expression, supporting the role of ghrelin in reproduction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, College of Animal Science and Technology, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, PR China.
authors.forename: Fugui
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Fang
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yunhai
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Yunsheng
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Shiping
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Su
authors.forename: Xiaorong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000187:drug effects; D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta / Q000235:genetics; D004967:Estrogens / Q000097:blood*; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D015870:Gene Expression; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007276:Injections, Intraventricular; D010053:Ovary / Q000378:metabolism*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000235:genetics
chemical_list: D047629:Estrogen Receptor beta; D004967:Estrogens; D054439:Ghrelin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone; C101118:progesterone receptor A; C097314:progesterone receptor B; D011374:Progesterone