title: D-Aspartic acid implication in the modulation of frog brain sex steroid levels.
abstract: There is evidence that D-aspartate (D-Asp) modulates sex hormone levels in frog testis by regulating the activity of P450 aromatase (P450 aro), the key enzyme which converts Testosterone (T) in 17ß-Estradiol (E2). Here we report, for the first time, that there is a direct correlation among brain levels of D-Asp, P450 aro, E2 and Estradiol Receptor (ERα) in the male frogs during the reproductive as well as the post-reproductive phases of the breeding cycle, with highest levels being observed in the post-reproductive period. D-Asp i.p. administration to frogs ready for reproduction, induced an increase of brain P450 aro protein expression with concomitant enhancement of both E2 levels and ERα expression; at the same time, brain T levels and Androgen receptor expression decreased. In contrast, in the post-reproductive frogs, D-Asp treatment did not modify any of these parameters. Taken together, these results imply that the regulation of P450 aro expression by D-Asp could be an important step in the control of E2 levels in the frog brain.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita, Seconda Università di Napoli, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Alessandra
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Santillo
authors.forename: Claudia
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Pinelli
authors.forename: Lavinia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Burrone
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Chieffi Baccari
authors.forename: Maria Maddalena
authors.initials: MM
authors.lastname: Di Fiore
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001001:Anura / Q000378:metabolism*; D001141:Aromatase / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D026603:D-Aspartic Acid / Q000378:metabolism*; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D013256:Steroids / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D013256:Steroids; D026603:D-Aspartic Acid; D001141:Aromatase