title: Melatonin and ethanol intake exert opposite effects on circulating estradiol and progesterone and differentially regulate sex steroid receptors in the ovaries, oviducts, and uteri of adult rats.
abstract: Chronic ethanol intake is associated with sex hormone disturbances, and it is well known that melatonin plays a key role in regulating several reproductive processes. We report the effects of ethanol intake and melatonin treatment (at doses of 100 μg/100 g BW/day) on sex hormones and steroid receptors in the ovaries, oviducts and uteri of ethanol-preferring rats. After 150 days of treatment, animals were euthanized, and tissue samples were harvested to evaluate androgen, estrogen, progesterone and melatonin receptor subunits (AR, ER-α and ER-β, PRA, PRB and MT1R, respectively). Melatonin decreased estradiol (E2) and increased progesterone (P4) and 6-sulfatoxymelatonin (6-STM), while an ethanol-melatonin combination reduced both P4 and E2. Ovarian AR was not influenced by either treatment, and oviduct AR was reduced after ethanol-melatonin combination. Oviduct ER-α, ER-β and uterine ER-β were down-regulated by either ethanol or melatonin. Conversely, ovarian PRA and PRB were positively regulated by ethanol and ethanol-melatonin combination, whereas PRA was down-regulated in the uterus and oviduct after ethanol consumption. MT1R was increased in ovaries and uteri of melatonin-treated rats. Ethanol and melatonin exert opposite effects on E2 and P4, and they differentially regulate the expression of sex steroid receptors in female reproductive tissues.
authors.affiliation: Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biologia Celular e Estrutural, Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Estadual de Campinas - UNICAMP, Campinas 13083-863, SP, Brazil. guchuffa@yahoo.com.br
authors.forename: Luiz Gustavo A
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Chuffa
authors.forename: Fábio R F
authors.initials: FR
authors.lastname: Seiva
authors.forename: Wagner José
authors.initials: WJ
authors.lastname: Fávaro
authors.forename: João Paulo A
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Amorim
authors.forename: Giovana R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Teixeira
authors.forename: Leonardo O
authors.initials: LO
authors.lastname: Mendes
authors.forename: Beatriz A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Fioruci-Fontanelli
authors.forename: Patricia Fernanda F
authors.initials: PF
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
authors.forename: Marcelo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Martinez
authors.forename: Francisco Eduardo
authors.initials: FE
authors.lastname: Martinez
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D004958:Estradiol / Q000097:blood*; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D005260:Female; D008550:Melatonin / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D010057:Oviducts / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood*; D051381:Rats; D011987:Receptors, Steroid / Q000378:metabolism*; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D011987:Receptors, Steroid; C054513:6-sulfatoxymelatonin; D000431:Ethanol; D011374:Progesterone; D004958:Estradiol; D008550:Melatonin