Chronic alcohol ingestion causes sexual dysfunction, impairs sperm motility and fertility, and changes semen quality. Considering the key role of epididymis in sperm development, the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of long‐term ethanol consumption on epididymis changes, including alterations in β‐defensin isoform gene expression, oxidative stress, and pathological changes, such as cell proliferation and fibrosis in the epididymis of rats. In this study, male Wistar rats were equally divided into control and ethanol (4.5 g/kg BW) groups. After six weeks of treatment, the results revealed the proliferation of epididymis cells, fibrosis in the epididymis tissue, and a significant rise in the level of 8‐OHdG and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) oxidase in the ethanol group, compared with the control group. Moreover, the ethanol group showed an increase in the gene expression of epididymal β‐defensin isoforms 15 and 21 and a reduction in the gene expression of β‐defensin isoforms 27 and 30, compared with the controls. These findings indicate that ethanol‐induced epididymal damage and sperm abnormalities might be partly associated with changes in β‐defensin isoforms and epididymal structure, mediated by the increased activities of 8‐OHdG and NADPH oxidase.
BackgroundChronic alcohol ingestion-induced kidney structure and function alterations are very well known, but the precise underlying molecular mediators involved in ethanol-induced kidney abnormalities remain elusive. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of chronic ethanol exposure on matrix metalloproteinase 2, 9 (MMP), glomerular filtration barrier proteins (nephrin and podocin), as well as vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 1, 2 (VEGFRs) isoforms gene expression in the kidney of rats.MethodsSixteen male Wistar rats with an initial body weight of 220 ± 10 g were divided into the following two groups: (1) control and (2) ethanol (4.5 g/kg BW).ResultsAfter 6 weeks of treatment, the results revealed a significant increase in isoforms VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 of VEGFR gene expression, significant increases of MMP2 and MMP9 activities, as well as significant decrease of nephrin and podocin gene expressions in the ethanol group, compared with that in the control group.ConclusionThese findings indicate that ethanol-induced kidney abnormalities may be in part associated with alteration in expressions of VEGFRs, nephrin, and podocin and in increasing activities of MMP2 and MMP9 as key molecular mediators in the kidney function.
Mouse model of multiple sclerosis (MS) is used for the inflammatory demyelinating disease. Rapamycin (RAPA) may contribute to the reduction of inflammatory responses to experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Due to its adverse side effects, identifying new therapeutic agents is important. We investigated the transcriptional effects of evening primrose/hemp seed oil (EP/HS oil) compared to RAPA on the expression of immunological factors genes in spleen cells of EAE mouse models.
We firstly induced EAE mice by injection of myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG). Then, the EAE mice treated and untreated with EP/HS oil were evaluated and compared with naïve mice. The spinal cords were examined histologically. The immunological factors including genes expression of the regulatory-associated protein of mammalian target of rapamycin (RAPTOR), regulatory-associated companion of mammalian target of rapamycin (RICTOR), interferon (IFN)-γ, interleukin (IL)-10, signal transducer and activator of transcription factors (STAT3), forkhead box P3 (FOXP3), and IL-17 of splenocytes were evaluated by real time-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR).
The data showed that EP/HS oil was able to reduce the severity of EAE and inhibited the development of the disease. EP/HS oil treatment significantly inhibited the expression of RAPTOR, IFN-γ, IL-17, and STAT3 genes and promoted the expression of RICTOR, IL-10, and FOXP3 genes.
In conclusion, the EP/HS oil is likely to be involved in transcription of factors in favor of EAE improvement as well as participating in remyelination in the EAE spinal cord and that it suggests to be effective in therapeutic approaches for MS.
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