3 research outputs found
Tachykinin Family Genes and their Receptors are Differentially Expressed in the Hypothyroid Ovary and Pituitary
Plasma tachykinin levels are known to be altered with
sexual acyclicity and loss of reproductive function.
Ovulatory dysfunction, as seen in postmenopausal
women, is also often encountered in hypothyroid
patients. To know the involvement of different
tachykinin genes in hypothyroidism-associated
reproductive disorders, we performed DD-PCR with
the pituitary RNA of control and hypothyroid rats to
see the differentially expressed gene profile.
Subsequently, we selected a few clones, tachykinin
being one of them. Since its expression was up
regulated in hypothyroidism as it does in the sexually
acyclic females, we wanted to correlate these two
phenomena with hypothyroidism associated
reproductive disorders. We observed differential
expression of tac2 along with other tk genes and their
receptors in rat pituitary and ovary, which suggests
that hypothyroidism affects the expression of these genes in these tissues. The experiments were
repeated in ovarian tissue obtained at surgery from
hypothyroid human patients, which showed similar
expression pattern of TAC3 (equivalent to rat tac2)
and their receptors as in rat ovary. Significant
reduction of tac2 expression in reproductively less
active rat ovary suggests the association of tac2 with
reproductive senescence. Our results suggest that
decline in reproductive function in hypothyroidism is
associated with altered expression level of tac2 and
its receptors. Further investigation in this area could
elucidate the possible mechanism of tachykinins’
involvement in loss of sexual cyclicity and other
reproductive disorders associated with
hypothyroidism
Assessment of Relationship of Serum Neurokinin-B Level in the Pathophysiology of Pre-eclampsia: A Case–Control Study
Introduction
Pre-eclampsia is a pregnancy-induced disorder that complicates approximately 5–7% of pregnancies. It is the leading cause of maternal and foetal morbidity and mortality worldwide.
Aim
To determine the role of serum neurokinin-B level in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia.
Methods
This was a case–control study. A total of 80 pregnant women in their third trimester of pregnancy were included in the study. They were divided into two groups (40 pre-eclamptic and 40 normotensive) according to the presence or absence of clinical parameters of pre-eclampsia. Serum level of neurokinin-B was measured with ELISA.
Results
Maternal age, weight, BMI, pulse, systolic BP and diastolic BP were statistically higher in the pre-eclampsia group compared to the normotensive group (P < 0.0001). Moreover, statistically higher levels were observed for neurokinin-B in the normotensive group as compared to the pre-eclamptic group. The mean value of neurokinin-B was 83.50 ng/L in the pre-eclamptic group compared to 111.5 ng/L in the normotensive group (P = 0.006).
Conclusion
Higher levels of serum neurokinin-B were observed in the normotensive pregnant females as compared to the pre-eclamptic females. Thus, apparently, it seems that serum neurokinin-B plays no role in the pathophysiology of pre-eclampsia, and further large multicentre prospective studies may be required to ascertain its role