Sperm utilize tumor necrosis factor alpha to shut down a 2-methoxyestradiol nongenomic pathway that accelerates oviductal egg transport in the rat.

In Brief: Mating shuts down the 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME) nongenomic pathway that accelerates oviductal egg transport in the rat. This study shows that sperm cells, but not vaginocervical stimulation, utilize TNF-α to shut down this 2ME nongenomic pathway.

Abstract: The transport of oocytes or embryos throughout the oviduct to the implantation site in the uterus is defined as egg transport.

Training at moderate altitude improves submaximal but not maximal performance-related parameters in elite rowers.

Maximal oxygen consumption (V̇O), physiological thresholds, and hemoglobin mass are strong predictors of endurance performance. High values of V̇O, maximal aerobic power (MAP), and power output at anaerobic thresholds are key variables in elite rowers. Endurance athletes often use altitude training as a strategy to improve performance.

MgO nanoparticles coated with polyethylene glycol as carrier for 2-Methoxyestradiol anticancer drug.

Novel Magnesium Oxide (MgO) nanoparticles (NPs) modified with the polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG) were synthesized as carrier for the anticancer drug 2-Methoxyestradiol (2ME) to improve its clinical application. The functionalized NPs were characterized by Infrared spectroscopy with Fourier transform to elucidate the vibration modes of this conjugate, indicating the formation of the MgO-PEG-2ME nanocomposite. The studies of absorption and liberation determined that MgO-PEG-2ME NPs incorporated 98.

Prolactin gene expression in the pituitary of rats subjected to vaginocervical stimulation requires Erk-1/2 signaling.

Vaginocervical stimulation (VCS) induces twice-daily prolactin (PRL) surges resulting in pseudopregnancy in the rat. Furthermore, activation of the extracellular signal-regulated kinase-1/2 (Erk-1/2) is involved in the effect of estradiol (E) on the Prl gene expression in pituitary cells. Herein, we investigated whether Erk-1/2 signaling is involved in the control of Prl expression in the pituitary of VCS rats and whether VCS regulates the effect of E on Erk-1/2 and Prl in the pituitary.

The role of mating in oviduct biology.

The oviduct connects the ovary to the uterus, and is subject to changes that influence gamete transport, fertilization, and early embryo development. The ovarian steroids estradiol and progesterone are largely responsible for regulating oviduct function, although mating signals also affect the female reproductive tract, both indirectly, through sensory stimulation, and directly, through contact with seminal plasma or spermatozoa. The resulting alterations in gene and protein expression help establish a microenvironment that is appropriate for sperm storage and selection, embryo development, and gamete transport.

Estradiol increases IP3 by a nongenomic mechanism in the smooth muscle cells from the rat oviduct.

Estradiol (E2) accelerates egg transport by a nongenomic action, requiring activation of estrogen receptor (ER) and successive cAMP and IP3 production in the rat oviduct. Furthermore, E2 increases IP3 production in primary cultures of oviductal smooth muscle cells. As smooth muscle cells are the mechanical effectors for the accelerated oocyte transport induced by E2 in the oviduct, herein we determined the mechanism by which E2 increases IP3 in these cells.

Role of 2-methoxyestradiol, an Endogenous Estrogen Metabolite, in Health and Disease.

Estradiol (E2) is a steroid hormone whose physiological actions are mainly mediated by its interaction with intracellular estrogen receptors (ER) leading to modification on the mRNA and protein synthesis in its target cells. However, estrogens can also activate several intracellular signal transduction cascades by non-genomic mechanisms. Estrogens must be inactivated and removed from blood through its conversion to soluble compounds with an apparent low estrogenic activity and decreased affinity for ER.

Mating decreases plasma levels of TGFβ1 and regulates myosalpinx expression of TGFβ1/TGFBR3 in the rat.

Mating shuts down a 2-methoxyestradiol (2ME)-dependent, non-genomic activity that is responsible for accelerating egg transport in the rat oviduct. The aims of this work were to investigate the role of TGFβ1 in this 2ME-reduced activity and to determine the effect of mating on the expression and distribution of TGFβ1 and its receptor TGFBR3 in the rat oviduct. We determined the level of TGFβ1 in the plasma and oviductal fluid at 1, 3, or 6 hr during Day 1 of the oestrous cycle in unmated or mated animals.

Estradiol increases cAMP in the oviductal secretory cells through a nongenomic mechanism.

In the rat oviduct, estradiol (E2) accelerates egg transport by a nongenomic action that requires previous conversion of E2 to methoxyestrogens via catechol-O-methyltranferase (COMT) and activation of estrogen receptor (ER) with subsequent production of cAMP and inositol triphosphate (IP3). However, the role of the different oviductal cellular phenotypes on this E2 nongenomic pathway remains undetermined. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of E2 on the levels of cAMP and IP3 in primary cultures of secretory and smooth muscle cells from rat oviducts and determine the mechanism by which E2 increases cAMP in the secretory cells.

Changes in the gene expression pattern induced by 2-methoxyestradiol in the mouse uterus.

2-Methoxyestradiol (2ME) is an estrogen metabolite with antitumor and antiangiogenic properties, although their effects on the reproductive tissues are not well-determined. Furthermore, it is not very clear whether 2ME is part of the intracellular signaling of estradiol (E2) or it acts through other signaling pathways. The purpose of this study was to determine changes in the gene expression pattern in the mouse female reproductive tract induced by 2ME, under conditions in which this metabolite has no estrogenic activity.