Objectives: To determine the hypothalamic activity of nitric oxide synthase (NOS, the enzyme involved in the synthesis of nitric oxide NO) during sexual maturation in prepubertal (15 days old) and peripubertal female rats (30 days old) as well as the effect of estradiol administration on this neurotransmitter system.
Methods: Hypothalamic samples containing the anterior preoptic and medial basal areas (APOA-MBH) were homogenized with HEPES 20 mM, pH = 7.4 and NOS activity was determined in APO-MBH after 10 minutes of incubation by the conversion of 14C arginine to 14C citrulline.
Results: The hypothalamic concentration of NOS is significantly higher in peripubertal than in prepubertal rats. Treatment with EB increased significantly the activity of the enzyme in both groups compared with control and the increases was similar at both ages.
Conclusions: These results clearly demonstrated that the hypothalamic NOS activity increases in peripubertal rats as compared with prepubertal animals. Estradiol has a similar stimulatory effect on hypothalamic NOS activity at both ages of sexual maturation, indicating that the increase in NOS during sexual maturation is connected with the peripubertal increase of estradiol rather than an increase in the sensitivity of the enzyme to the ovarian hormone.
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Biomolecules
January 2025
Área de Genética, Facultad de Ciencias del Mar y Ambientales, INMAR, Universidad de Cádiz, 11510 Cádiz, Spain.
Fish exhibit diverse mechanisms of sex differentiation and determination, shaped by both external and internal influences, often regulated by distinct DNA methylation patterns responding to environmental changes. In aquaculture, reproductive issues in captivity pose significant challenges, particularly the lack of fertilization capabilities in captive-bred males, hindering genetic improvement measures. This study analyzed the methylation patterns and transcriptomic profiles in gonadal tissue DNA from groups differing in rearing conditions and sexual maturity stages.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBMC Endocr Disord
January 2025
Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, University of Zimbabwe, P. O. Box A178, Avondale, Harare, Zimbabwe.
Background: Proper planning of reproductive health needs for HIV-infected adolescents requires a clear understanding of the effects of HIV infection on adolescents' pubertal development.
Objective: To assess the effects of HIV infection on the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian (HPO) axis, ovarian reserve and pubertal development in adolescent girls at a tertiary hospital in Zimbabwe.
Methods: This was a cross-sectional survey of HIV-infected adolescent girls aged 10-19 years, with available CD4 + count results at a tertiary hospital in Zimbabwe.
Sci Rep
January 2025
Sorbonne Université, CNRS, Inserm, Centre d'Immunologie et des Maladies Infectieuses, CIMI, F-75013 Paris, France.
Malaria is caused by protozoan parasites of the genus Plasmodium and remains a global health concern. The parasite has a highly adaptable life cycle comprising successive rounds of asexual replication in a vertebrate host and sexual maturation in the mosquito vector Anopheles. Genetic manipulation of the parasite has been instrumental for deciphering the function of Plasmodium genes.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFSci Rep
January 2025
College of Veterinary Medicine, Anhui Agricultural University, Hefei, Anhui, China.
Previous studies have confirmed that methylation regulates gene transcription in the hypothalamus-pituitary-gonadal axis during puberty initiation, but little is known about the regulation of DNA methylation on gene expression in the pineal gland. To screen pineal gland candidate genes related to the onset of goat puberty and regulated by genome methylation, we collected pineal glands from prepubertal and pubertal female goats, then, determined the DNA methylation profile by whole genome bisulfite sequencing and the transcriptome by RNA sequencing on Illumina HiSeqTM2500. We analyzed differentially expressed genes between the Pre group and Pub group using the DESeq2 software (version 1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFCureus
December 2024
Department of Sports Medicine, Portuguese Rugby Federation, Lisbon, PRT.
Introduction The participation of women in sports is increasing, and the rising training demands may impact growth and pubertal development. High-intensity sports are often linked to delayed growth and bone maturation due to energy deficits and intense regimens. These factors may increase the risk of injury and musculoskeletal issues.
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