Agomelatine is an antidepressant with a novel mechanism of action. It is a melatonergic agonist for MT1 and MT2 receptors and a serotonin (5-HT2C) receptor antagonist. Agomelatine has been suggested not to have adverse effects on sexual functions. However, the effects of chronic agomelatine administration on reproductive functions have not been sufficiently studied in animal models. We mainly aimed to explore the effects of agomelatine on reproductive functions in the male and female rats. For the experimental studies, Sprague Dawley rats were used. The animals started to receive daily oral agomelatine (10mg/kg) on post-natal day 21. Agomelatine advanced vaginal opening in the female rats whereas it delayed puberty onset in the male rats. Agomelatine treatment significantly decreased intromission frequencies, which indicates a facilitator role of this antidepressant on male sexual behavior. In the forced swimming test (FST) used for assessing antidepressant efficacy, agomelatine induced a significant decrease in duration of immobility, and an increase in the swimming time, respectively, which confirms the antidepressant-like activity of agomelatine. The present findings suggest that agomelatine shows a strong antidepressant effect in the male rats without any adverse influences on sexual behavior, and its effects on pubertal maturation seem to show sex-dependent differences.

Apelin, which is a new hormone, is secreted especially in the brain by hypothalamus as well as by many other organs like the stomach, fat tissue, and the heart. For apelin, whose possible effects on many bodily functions like the endocrine system, cardiovascular system and metabolic activities are still under investigation, the reproductive system is also an important target area. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the effects of plasma apelin levels in rats that were in diestrus, pregnancy and lactation periods, and to examine its possible effects on myometrium contractions of pregnant rats and non-pregnant rats that were in diestrus period.  The plasma apelin concentrations in female adult Wistar rats were determined with the ELISA method in the diestrus period, and on the 12th, 18th, and 21st days of the pregnancy, and on the 2nd and 10th days of lactation (n=7 for each group). In addition, the effect of apelin at 0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10 μM doses on isometric contractions in the rat uterus on the 21st day of pregnancy and in diestrus period was tested by using isolated organ bath. This protocol was repeated under conditions that were pre-treated with protein kinase C inhibitor in calcium-free medium, and the possible effect of apelin on contractions and the mechanisms that might mediate this effect were investigated. When plasma apelin levels were compared with the rats in diestrus period, the apelin concentrations in the 21-day pregnancy group were high at a significant level (p<0.05); and low at a significant level in the 2-day lactation group (p<0.05). In myometrium contraction trials, it was observed that apelin induced the contractions. Apelin increased the frequency of the myometrium contractions at a significant level when applied at 1 μM and 10 μM concentrations (p<0.05 and p<0.001). Only after the apelin application at 10 μM concentration did the amplitude of the contractions increase at a significant level (p<0.01). In the myometrium of the rats that were on the 21st day of pregnancy, the frequency of the contractions was statistically significant at 0.1 μM, 1 μM and 10 μM doses (p<0.01). In addition, the amplitude of the contractions increased at a statistically significant level at 1 μM and 10 μM dose application (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively). The apelin application induced the contractions in calcium-free medium. When apelin was applied after the pre-application with protein kinase C inhibitor, no contractions were observed. The present study showed that apelin levels were increased at the end of pregnancy in rats, and the hormone induced the uterus contractions. This effect does not occur with protein kinase C inhibitor and in calcium-free medium, which shows that protein kinase C pathway might play a role in these mechanism.  These findings show that apelin might be an endogenous peptide that plays a role on uterine contractions at birth in rats.

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OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of neuromuscular electric stimulation applied to the erector spinae on balance, motor function and functional capacity in patients with stroke in a randomized controlled trial. METHODS: Sixty patients with stroke were recruited and randomly distributed into two groups: control group and neuromuscular electric stimulation group. All participants underwent conventional physical therapy five times a week for six weeks. The neuromuscular electric stimulation group received additional electrical stimulation. Outcome measures were evaluated with Brunnel Balance Assessment, Stroke Rehabilitation Movement Assessment, Functional Ambulation Classification, Adapted Patient Evaluation and Conference System, Postural Assesment Scale for Stroke patients, Short Form-36, and Minimental State Examination scales. RESULTS: Significant differences were observed in all scores at the end of the study in both groups. Postural Assesment Scale for Stroke patients and Stroke Rehabilitation Movement Assessment scores were higher in the neuromuscular electric stimulation group compared to the control group (p < 0.05). All the other scores were not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: It is recommended to evaluate and treat trunk muscle, which is usually neglected in treatment, and to consider the combination of conventional treatment and neuromuscular electric stimulation when designing an ideal rehabilitation program.

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Exposure to chronic stress stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis and then simultaneously inhibits hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG) axis activity. The inhibition formed by the HPA axis is the main mechanism of action of stress on reproductive function. HPG axis activity is known to be changed by various factors, including exercise. Exercise has been found to have a number of positive effects on sexual behavior, reproductive hormones, and sperm parameters in studies with animal models for many years. The main aim of this study is to investigate the effects of chronic treadmill exercise on chronically stressed-male rats’ sexual behavior, reproductive hormones, and sperm parameters. A total of 40 sexually adult male rats were randomly and equally divided into four groups as control, stress, exercise, and stress+exercise. Animals in the exercise group were subjected to the chronic treadmill exercise (moderate intensity) for 33 days with a periodic increase in speed and duration. Animals in the stress group were exposed to restraint stress for 1 h, 2 h, and 3 h during the first, second and third 15 days respectively. Sexual behavior parameters, hormone measurements, and sperm parameters were evaluated. The main effects of chronic exercise on sexual behavior were centered on a significant increase in the ejaculation frequency (EF) in the stress+exercise group. Also, sperm concentration and motility in the stress group significantly decreased, and then sperm motility was improved by exercise in the stress+exercise group. In sum, our results show that chronic treadmill exercise may improve the adverse effects of chronic stress on sexual behavior and sperm parameters in male rats in terms of some parameters.

The action mechanism of acupuncture, one of the alternative methods used in obesity treatment, is unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of electro acupuncture on weight loss and whether acupuncture treatment can change circulating levels of irisin, nesfatin-l and preptin, which have been discovered in recent years and plays an important role in nutrition and energy metabolism. Irisin, a newly discovered myokine, is associated with increased energy consumption and has a potential role in obesity. Preptin, present in islet b-cells of pancreas and associated with the carbohydrate metabolism, nesfatin1 is an anorexogenic peptide composed of 82 amino acids and regulates food intake by modulating neuropeptides in feeding centers in the brain. These three new hormones regulate energy intake and expenditure and preserve energy homeostasis and composition. In this study 4 weeks old Sprague Dawley male rats (n=16) were randomly divided into 2 groups which were the control (C): normal diet and obese (0): high fat diet (HFD) groups. 105 After 16 weeks which obesity was developed, electroacupuncture (EA) was performed to rats once in every second days for 3 times weekly for four consecutive weeks. EA was applied bilaterally to Zusanli (ST36), Bai Hui (Du20), He Gu (Li4), Tianshu (ST25) and Sanyinjiao (SP6) acupoints in animals to both groups. Blood was collected before and after EA and serum irisin, nesfatin-l and preptin levels were analyzed by ELISA (Enzyme-InducedImmunosorbent Analysis) method. After four week EA treatment, there was sginificant decrease of the average body weight in both groups rats. There were increases in the serum nesfatin-l and preptin levels in the both groups after acupuncture. A decrease was observed in the irisin levels in obese group, but an increase in the control group. These findings suggest that electroacupuncture may help to weight loss due to its effects on some important metabolic hormones such as irisin, nesfatin-l and preptin only for a few weeks. It is thought that the changes of these hormones levels may playa role in beneficial effect of acupuncture used in the treatment of human obesity. The application of EA in the treatment of obesity is very effective, which may have led to weight loss by altering these hormone levels in obese people.