These results suggest that the cardioprotective mechanism of telmisartan may be partly due to improvement of endothelial function associated with PPAR-gamma-eNOS, oxidative stress, and Rho-kinase pathway.
OBJECTIVE:To investigate whether regular endurance-type exercise can benefit rats submitted to a model of ovariectomy (OVX)-induced obesity with or without estrogen replacement. SUBJECTS: OVX Sprague-Dawley rats were compared to an ovariectomized-estradiol-treated group (OVXE2) and a Shamoperated (Sham) group. Each of these groups were subdivided into a sedentary and a treadmill-trained (8 wk) group. DESIGN AND MEASUREMENTS: An experimental study in which various parameters, including fat depots, blood lipids and several organ weights were measured. RESULTS: Plasma levels of 17b-estradiol and uterus weights were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in OVX compared to Sham and significantly (P < 0.01) higher in OVXE2 (hyperestrogenic) compared to Sham rats. Body weights were significantly (P < 0.01) different among groups, in the following decreasing order: OVX, Sham and OVXE2. The average daily food intake and food efficiency were significantly (P < 0.01) increased in OVX compared to Sham, whereas estradiol treatment diminished this effect (P < 0.01). Exercise training did not alter any of the above-mentioned variables in any of the three estrogen groups. Mesenteric and subcutaneous fat weights were significantly (P < 0.01) increased by OVX. This increase was abolished by estrogen replacement or by exercise training. Exercise training also decreased fat weights in OVXE2 and Sham rats. OVX resulted in a decrease in the weights of several other tissues (femur, heart, lungs, liver and adrenal glands) while hyperestrogenic replacement resulted in an increase in weight of all measured tissues. Aside from fat depots, exercise training did not affect any of the tissue weights with the exception for an increase in the weight of the plantaris muscle and adrenal glands and a decrease in lung weight in all three estrogen groups. CONCLUSION: In OVX animals, exercise training may bring about positive changes in body composition (ie reduction in fat weights) despite an ovariectomy-induced increase in body weight.
This study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of regular endurance-type exercise on glucose tolerance and glucose-stimulated insulin response (GSIR) in ovariectomized (OVX) rats with and without estrogen replacement. To do that, OVX Sprague-Dawley rats were compared with an OVX estradiol-treated group (OVXE2) and a sham-operated (Sham) group. Each of these groups was subdivided into a sedentary and a treadmill-trained (8 wk) group. Intravenous glucose tolerance tests (0.5 g/kg) were conducted in all rats 48 h after the last training session. Plasma levels of 17beta-estradiol and the uterus weight were significantly (P < 0.05) lower in OVX compared with results in Sham and significantly (P < 0.01) higher in OVXE2 (hyperestrogenic) compared with results in Sham. Body weights were significantly (P < 0.01) different among groups, in the following decreasing order: OVX, Sham, and OVXE2. The average daily food intake was significantly (P < 0.01) increased in OVX rats compared with Sham, whereas estradiol treatment diminished this effect (P < 0.01). Exercise training was found to alter none of the above-mentioned variables in all three experimental conditions. Although the mean integrated area under the glucose and insulin curves was not affected by OVX, training induced a significant (P < 0.01) reduction in the mean integrated area under the insulin curve in all three experimental conditions. It is concluded that the positive effects of physical training on improving GSIR in OVX and hyperestrogenic animals are similar to what has been found in Sham.
It has been recently shown that mammalian spermatozoa were hyperactivated by steroids, amines and amino acids. In the
present study, we investigated whether hyperactivation of hamster sperm is regulated by progesterone (P) and γ-aminobutyric
acid (GABA). Although sperm hyperactivation was enhanced by P, GABA significantly suppressed P-enhanced hyperactivation in a
dose-dependent manner. Suppression of P-enhanced hyperactivation by GABA was significantly inhibited by an antagonist of the
GABAA receptor (bicuculline). Moreover, P bound to the sperm head, and this binding was decreased by GABA.
Because the concentrations of GABA and P change in association with the estrous cycle, these results suggest that GABA and P
competitively regulate the enhancement of hyperactivation through the GABAA receptor.
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