Preventive and therapeutic effects of genistein and daidzein on anxiety-like behaviors in ovariectomized rats.

Estrogen has demonstrated beneficial effects; however, it can also have unfavorable effects. Phytoestrogens are present in many consumable products and commonly used as supplements. These are of interest as they may have beneficial effects on mood with fewer undesirable effects on reproductive tissues.

Daidzein, but not genistein, has anxiolytic-liked effect on intact male Wistar rats.

The phytoestrogens daidzein and genistein are ubiquitous in human food. This study aimed to elucidate their anxiety-liked effects, their effects on the reproductive organs, and the molecular mechanism behind any anxiety-liked effects in intact adult male Wistar rats. These phytoestrogens are of interest due to their posited health benefits, particularly for female, but with some effect on males as well.

Effects of time of estrogen deprivation on anxiety-like behavior and GABAA receptor plasticity in ovariectomized rats.

Ovariectomized animals have frequently been used to study the effects of estrogen deficiency on mood disorders, particularly anxiety disorder. However, a range of results including anxiolytic, anxiogenic, and no behavioral effects have been reported. One discrepancy was the different in behavioral testing time following ovariectomized; therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of time of estrogen deprivation on anxiety-like behavior and on GABAA receptor subunit gene expressions in ovariectomized rats.

Inhibition of amino acid transport system a by interleukin-1beta in trophoblasts.

Objective: The current study sought to investigate the influence of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) on the function of the amino acid transport system A in trophoblasts.

Methods: BeWo choriocarcinoma cells were exposed to recombinant human IL-1beta in serum-free medium. Cells incubated with serum-free medium in the absence of IL-1beta were used as control.

Effects of isulin-like growth factor-I on maternal and fetal plasma amino acid levels in pregnant rats.

Pregnant rats were subcutaneously administered with recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I (rhIGF-I) in doses of 0 (control), 1, 2, and 4 microg/g body weight per day from day 18 to 21 of pregnancy. On day 21 of pregnancy, maternal and fetal plasma samples were collected and those amino acid levels were measured. The ratios of fetal/maternal plasma amino acids, especially leucine, isoleucine, tryptophan, phenylalanine and tyrosine, increased in 2 microg rhIGF-I treated group.

Effects of epidermal growth factor on placental amino acids uptake in pregnant rats.

To evaluate the effects of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on placental amino acids uptake, transport activities for L-proline, L-leucine, and L-alanine were kinetically examined in placental microvillous vesicles(PMV) obtained from pregnant rats administered with EGF(100 and 200 microg/kg/day) from day 18 to 21 of pregnancy. The Vmax of Na(+)-dependent proline uptake remarkably increased with a dose-dependent manner of EGF, while Km did not change. In contrast, Vmax and Km values of Na(+)-dependent and -independent alanine, and Na(+)-independent leucine uptake were not affected.