Erythropoietin Protects the Kidney by Regulating the Effect of TNF-α in L-NAME-Induced Hypertensive Rats.

Background/Aims: Hypertension is the leading cause of death worldwide. Chronic high blood pressure induces inflammation. Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α plays a major role in inflammation and also depresses the synthesis of erythropoietin, which exerts protective effects on tissue; however, the mechanism is still unclear. We investigated the protective effect of erythropoietin against tissue damage caused by hypertension in the kidney and whether this effect was suppressed by TNF-α. Methods: First, we detected the optimum chronic dose for darbepoetin-α (Depo), which is a long-acting erythropoietin analog for rats. We separated 60 female adult rats into 6 groups: control, Nω-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride (L-NAME), L-NAME+Depo, L-NAME+Remicade (an anti-TNF-α antibody), L-NAME+Depo+Remicade, Depo, and control. After 1 month of treatment, we measured cardiovascular parameters, took blood samples, sacrificed the rats, and removed kidneys for analyses. Results: The apoptotic index and the plasma and kidney mRNA levels of TNF-α increased in the L-NAME group and decreased in all other treatment groups. Macrophage accumulation increased in the L-NAME and L-NAME+Remicade groups, while it decreased in the Depo group. The mRNA abundance of TNF receptor 1 (TNFR1) decreased slightly in the Depo group and TNFR2 increased significantly in the same group. Conclusion: Erythropoietin protects kidney tissue against hypertension by preventing the apoptotic effects of TNF-α by blocking macrophage accumulation, decreasing TNF-α levels, and switching the TNF-α receptors from the apoptotic receptor TNFR1 to the proliferative receptor TNFR2

Effects of estradiol, progesterone and kisspeptin-1 concentrations at the time of insemination on conception rates in cattle

The present study aimed to investigate the effects of kisspeptin (Kiss-1), estradiol (E2), and progesterone (P4) concentrations at the time of artificial insemination (AI) on conception rates and whether or not there is a relationship between Kiss-1 and E2 concentrations in cattle. Cows (n=100) raised on a semi-open free-stall barn and having corpus luteum were intramuscularly injected 25 mg of prostaglandin F2α (5 mg Dinoprost, Dinolytic®, Zoetis, Spain) and signs of estrus were checked for 5 days after injection. The cows that did not show heat for 5 days following the PGF2α injection were injected with the second dose of PGF2α on the 7th day and the oestrus was checked for half an hour, 3 times a day for 72 hours. Just prior to AI, preovulatory follicle diameters were examined with transrectal ultrasonography and recorded. Then blood samples were collected. Blood serum samples were collected and stored until analyzed. Pregnancies were diagnosed with transrectal real time B-Mod ultrasonography on day 30±2 following AI. The mean follicular diameters at the time of AI were 17.82±0.01 mm. E2, P4, and Kiss-1 concentrations at the time of AI were determined in serum by ELISA. Mean concentrations of Kiss-1, estradiol and progesterone at the time of AI in all animals were 79.77±4.64 pg/mL, 117.09±1.48 pg/mL, and 0.61±0.02 ng/mL, respectively. The threshold value for kisspeptin, estradiol and progesterone concentrations were determined to be 82.03 pg/mL, 116.22 pg/mL and 0.93 ng/mL, respectively. Kiss-1 is a positive and significant predictor for the model but has limited accuracy. While Kiss-1, follicle diameter, milk yield, lactation period and AI number explains high accuracy (AUC=0.738) in pregnancy prediction, estrogen and progesterone are poor. In addition, a significant correlation was found between serum kiss-1 concentration and follicle diameter, whereas no significant correlation was found between follicle diameter and serum estrogen or progesterone concentrations. In conclusion, Kiss-1 was found to be limited accurate in predicting pregnancy in cows, whereas estradiol and progesterone were not

The effect of leptin and resveratrol on JAK/STAT pathways and Sirt-1 gene expression in the renal tissue of ischemia//reperfusion induced rats

OBJECTIVE: Our study aimed to investigate the possible modifying effects of leptin and combined use of resveratrol on rat renal I/R injury and their relationship on signal pathways and apoptosis-related mechanisms