Influence of prolactin on neural and glial cellular adenosine triphosphatases in immature male bonnet monkeys (Macaca radiata, Geoffroy)

The effect of prolactin on specific activities of adenosine triphosphatases (ATPases) in neural and gliar cells of cerebral cortex, cerebellum and pons-medulla of immature male bonnet monkeys was studied. Na+, K+ dependent ATPase was stimulated, while Mg2+ and Ca2+ dependent ATPase activities showed reduction in neural as well as glial cells of cerebral cortex and cerebellum. However, in pons-medulla, Na+, K+ and Mg2+ dependent ATPases showed the same trend in neural and glial cells, respectively, as in the other two regions. The data obtained reveal that prolactin has specific effect on different ATPases, in different regions of the brain.     

Effects of prolactin and androgens on seminal vesicular lipids of castrated mature bonnet monkeys Macaca radiata

Effects of prolactin (PRL), bromocriptine (Br), testosterone propionate (TP), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and the combination of these androgens with PRL/Br on the total lipid, total cholesterol, total glyceride glycerols, total phospholipid and their fractions in seminal vesicles of castrated mature monkeys were studied. Glyceride glycerols formed the major portion (50%) of total lipids in normal monkeys. Cholesterol and phospholipids were of equal share (25%). Esterified cholesterol formed major share (75%) of total cholesterol. Diacyl glycerol was the major (60%) glyceride glycerol and phosphatidyl choline and ethanolamine were the major phospholipid classes. Except triacyl glycerol castration markedly decreased all the lipid classes. PRL restored normal free and esterified cholesterol and phosphatidyl inositol but Br invariably decreased all the lipid classes. TP/DHT treatment stimulated the free and esterified cholesterol more than the control; it restored the normal glyceride glycerols. Phosphatidyl inositol, choline and ethanolamine were stimulated by androgens and other phospholipid classes were brought to normal. Addition of PRL + TP/DHT markedly increased esterified cholesterol, phosphatidyl inositol, choline, ethanolamine and phosphatidic acid. In all these aspects, Br counteracted the effects of androgens and PRL.     

Influence of thyroidectomy on seminal vesicular glycosidases of young albino rats

Impact of thyroidectomy (hypothyroidism) on few glycosidases was studied in the seminal vesicles of young albino rats. Thyroidectomy was performed at 30 days post partum. Seminal vesicular beta-D-glucosidase, beta-D-galactosidase, and N-acetyl-beta-D-galactosaminidase exhibited a similar response of decreased activities under short- (30 days) and long-term (60 days) hypothyroid conditions. On the other hand, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase registered a temporal biphasic response of increased and decreased activities in the seminal vesicles of rats subjected to short- and long-term hypothyroidism, respectively. The data obtained in the present study suggest that thyroid hormones have specific influences on different glycosidases in the seminal vesicles of rats and euthyroid status is essential for the maintenance of normal activities of these enzymes.     

Effect of diabetes mellitus on epididymal enzymes of adult rats.

Diabetes mellitus caused significant reduction in serum testosterone and accessory sex glands weight. The sperm content of epididymal regions also decreased. Among the epididymal regions, the cauda epididymidal tissue alone showed significant reduction in Na(+)-K+ ATPase activity. However, Mg2+ ATPase activity was lowered in caput epididymidis only. Specific activity of Ca2+ ATPase significantly decreased in caput and cauda epididymides. All three ATPases decreased significantly in caput epididymidal spermatozoa leaving cauda epididymidal spermatozoa unaffected. Specific activity of alkaline phosphatase was suppressed in caput epididymidis and in the spermatozoa collected from caput and cauda epididymides, while the acid phosphatase was unaffected. In general, the results are suggestive of definite influence of diabetes on epididymal phosphatases which is region specific. Diabetes induced decrease in phosphatases may have an impact on secretory and absorptive functions of epididymis and thus on sperm maturation.     

Increased degradation of dermal collagen in diabetic rats.

The effect of alloxan induced diabetes on the dermal collagen content of albino rats was studied in relation to few lysosomal enzymes. Diabetes decreased the dermal collagen content. The specific activities of the lysosomal enzymes studied in the diabetic rat skin were elevated. It has been established that lysosomal enzymes degrade the connective tissue components. Thus, it may be suggested that the increase in the lysosomal enzymes studied should have facilitated the decrease in dermal collagen content of diabetic rats by increasing the degradation of dermal collagen.     

Role of prolactin on epididymal glycoprotein metabolism in matured monkeys, Macaca radiata: specific activities of glycosyltransferases and glycosidases.

Impact of altered serum prolactin status on enzymes involved in glycoprotein metabolism in epididymal tissue of matured monkeys was studied. Hyperprolactinemia (ovine prolactin-250 micrograms/kg body weight/day for 30 days) significantly inhibited the specific activities of dolichylphosphate mannosyl transferase, dolichylphosphate glucosyl transferase and galactosyl transferase, in the epididymal tissues. However, it had an enhanced effect on epididymal glycosidases such as beta-galactosidase, beta-N-acetyl glucosaminidase, beta-N-acetyl galactosaminidase, alpha-mannosidase and alpha-L-fucosidase. Hypoprolactinemia (bromocriptine mesylate-1-mg/kg body weight/day for 30 days) on other hand had no significant effect on the specific activities of both, glycosyltransferases and glycosidases, in the epididymal tissues. The results suggest that hyperprolactinemia inhibits epididymal glycoprotein metabolism by impairing the incorporation of oligosaccharide units into proteins with enhanced degradation. This may have adverse effect on events leading to sperm maturation in epididymal environment.     

Effects of prolactin and androgens on enzymes of carbohydrate metabolism in prostate of castrated bonnet monkeys Macaca radiata (Geoffroy).

Effects of prolactin (PRL), bromocriptine (Br), testosterone propionate (TP), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and the combinations of these androgens with PRL/Br on the specific activities of caudal and cranial prostatic cellular enzymes involved in carbohydrate metabolism in castrated mature bonnet monkeys have been studied. Castration decreased all the enzymes studied such as hexokinase (HK), 6-phosphofructokinase (6-PFK), glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-3-PD), pyruvate kinase (PK), glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) and 6-phosphogluconate dehydrogenase (6-PGD) in the cranial and caudal prostates. PRL elevated the activities of all the enzymes above normal except G-3-PD of cranial lobe. In the caudal lobe, PRL brought back the activities of HK, PFK, PK, G-6-PD to normal and 6-PGD above normal except G-3-PD. TP/DHT treatment increased all the enzymes in both the lobes. PRL given along with TP/DHT further enhanced the androgen action with regard to HK, PK, G-6-PD and 6-PGD of cranial and PFK, G-3-PD, PK, G-6-PD and 6-PGD of caudal lobe. Br treatment did not produce any alteration of these enzymes in both the lobes. In the cranial lobe, during Br+TP/DHT treatment, the stimulating effects of androgen were unaffected on all the enzymes except PK. On the other hand in the caudal, the stimulatory effects of androgens were affected and the activities of HK, PFK, PK and 6-PGD were significantly decreased. The present results suggest that PRL has a direct as well as a synergistic action with androgens on enzymes of EMP and HMP shunt in the prostates of monkeys.     

Toll-Like Receptor 9 Alternatively Spliced Isoform Negatively Regulates TLR9 Signaling in Teleost Fish

Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) recognizes and binds unmethylated CpG motifs in DNA, which are found in the genomes of bacteria and DNA viruses. In fish, Tlr9 is highly diverse, with the number of introns ranging from 0 to 4. A fish Tlr9 gene containing two introns has been reported to express two alternatively spliced isoforms, namely gTLR9A (full-length) and gTLR9B (with a truncated Cʹ-terminal signal transducing domain), whose regulation and function remain unclear. Here, we report a unique regulatory mechanism of gTLR9 signaling in orange-spotted grouper (Epinephelus coioides), whose gTlr9 sequence also contains two introns. We demonstrated that the grouper gTlr9 gene indeed has the capacity to produce two gTLR9 isoforms via alternative RNA splicing. We found that gTLR9B could function as a negative regulator to suppress gTLR9 signaling as demonstrated by the suppression of downstream gene expression. Following stimulation with CpG oligodeoxynucleotide (ODN), gTLR9A and gTLR9B were observed to translocate into endosomes and co-localize with ODN and the adaptor protein gMyD88. Both gTLR9A and gTLR9B could interact with gMyD88; however, gTLR9B could not interact with downstream IRAK4 and TRAF6. Further analysis of the expression profile of gTlr9A and gTlr9B upon immune-stimulation revealed that the two isoforms were differentially regulated in a time-dependent manner. Overall, these data suggest that fish TLR9B functions as a negative regulator, and that its temporal expression is mediated by alternative RNA splicing. This has not been observed in mammalian TLR9s and might have been acquired relatively recently in the evolution of fish.