Obestatin, a 23 amino acid peptide recently isolated from the rat stomach, is encoded by the same gene that encodes ghrelin. With the use of an antiserum directed against the mouse/rat obestatin, obestatin immunoreactivity (irOBS) was detected in cells of the gastric mucosa, myenteric plexus, and in Leydig cells of the testis in Sprague-Dawley rats. Double labeling the myenteric plexus with obe...

The G protein-coupled receptor kinase type 4 mediates the homologous desensitisation of type-1 metabotropic glutamate (mGlu1) receptors and is predominantly expressed in the testis. Hence, we searched for the expression of mGlu1 or other mGlu receptor subtypes in rat and human testes. RT-PCR analysis showed the presence of mGlu1, -4 and -5 (but not -2 or -3) receptor mRNA in the rat testis. The...

This study was conducted to evaluate the effect of molinate on retinoids homeostasis in rat testis. Molinate was administrated to male Sprague-Dawley rats (200 mg kg(-1) in corn oil, ip). Retinoid measurements were made at 6, 12, 48 and 168 h time points after administration. Testis levels of retinoic acid decreased (32 %) in a statistically significant manner at the 12 and 48 h time points. Ho...

Oncostatin M (OSM), a member of the interleukin 6 family of cytokines, was found to be highly expressed in the late fetal and early neonatal rat testis, as well as in the maturing and adult testis. Two different forms of OSM were observed, one of M(r) 22,000 and the other of M(r) 36,000. In the prepubertal rat testis [19 days post coitum, 8 days post partum (dpp), and 15 dpp], the form with the...

Background Our recent findings have shown that the rat testis is subjected to significant oxidative stress during the early phase of diabetes induced by Streptozotocin (STZ). In the present study, we have investigated whether oral supplementation of β-carotene (BC) to pubertal rats would provide protection against diabetes associated oxidative stress in testis and liver. MaterialsAndMethods Mal...

Fetal testis is a major target of endocrine disruptors (EDs). During the last 20 years, we have developed an organotypic culture system that maintains the function of the different fetal testis cell types and have used this approach as a toxicological test to evaluate the effects of various compounds on gametogenesis and steroidogenesis in rat, mouse and human testes. We named this test rat, mo...

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the short term protective effect of oxytocin on testicular ischemia reperfusion injury immediately after detorsion in a rat model. Materials and Methods: Twenty adult rats were randomly divided into four groups: Control, Ischemia- Reperfusion (IR), Oxytocin and IR+ Oxytocin. Testicular ischemia was achieved by torsion of the left testis 720° ...