Effect of Uncaria tomentosa

Background/Aim. The use of herbal products as a supplement to minimize the effects of chemotherapy for cancer treatment requires further attention with respect to the activity and toxicity of chemotherapy. Uncaria tomentosa extract, which contains oxindole alkaloids, is one of these herbal products. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether Uncaria tomentosa extract modulates apoptosis induced by chemotherapy exposure. Materials and Methods. Colorectal adenocarcinoma cells (HT29 cells) were grown in the presence of oxaliplatin and/or Uncaria tomentosa extract. Results. The hydroalcoholic extract of Uncaria tomentosa enhanced chemotherapy-induced apoptosis, with an increase in the percentage of Annexin positive cells, an increase in caspase activities, and an increase of DNA fragments in culture of the neoplastic cells. Moreover, antioxidant activity may be related to apoptosis. Conclusion. Uncaria tomentosa extract has a role for cancer patients as a complementary therapy. Further studies evaluating these beneficial effects with other chemotherapy drugs are recommended

Effect of medroxy-progesterone acetate on follicular growth and endometrial cycloxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression during the bovine estrous cycle

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of medroxy-progesterone acetate (MAP) with or without estradiol benzoate (EB) on follicular growth during the estrous cycle in cattle. In the first experiment, Hereford cows were synchronized with a synthetic analogue of PGF2 alpha and were treated with two different doses of MAP (250 or 500 mg) with or without EB for 7 days starting on day 8 of the estrous cycle. Follicular growth was inhibited (P<0.05) in all cows except controls and those receiving 250mg MAP without EB. Seventy-five percent of the animals (15/20) showed estrus on days 21 and 22 of the cycle rather than at MAP withdrawal, demonstrating that these treatments did not induce estrus. To determine whether the EB treatment altered endometrial sensitivity to oxytocin and thus the luteolytic cascade, multiparous pre-synchronized cows received 5 mg of EB followed 6 hours later with 50 IU of oxytocin (OT; n=9). Eight hours after EB injection, endometrial fragments were collected from the cows on days 4, 13 and 17 of the estrous cycle and COX-2 gene expression was measured by PCR. EB increased COX-2 mRNA levels only on day 17 of the estrous cycle (P<0.05). In conclusion, MAP alone or associated with EB is able to suppress bovine follicular growth. However, EB in the presence of MAP is not efficient to induce luteolysis in cows when injected on day 8 of the estrous cycle

Prostaglandin F2alpha- and FAS-activating antibody-induced regression of the corpus luteum involves caspase-8 and is defective in caspase-3 deficient mice

We recently demonstrated that caspase -3 is important for apoptosis during spontaneous involution of the corpus luteum (CL). These studies tested if prostaglandin F 2α (PGF 2α ) or FAS regulated luteal regression, utilize a caspase -3 dependent pathway to execute luteal cell apoptosis, and if the two receptors work via independent or potentially shared intracellular signaling components/pathways to activate caspase -3. Wild-type (WT) or caspase -3 deficient female mice, 25–26 days old, were given 10 IU equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) intraperitoneally (IP) followed by 10 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) IP 46 h later to synchronize ovulation. The animals were then injected with IgG (2 micrograms, i.v.), the FAS-activating antibody Jo2 (2 micrograms, i.v.), or PGF 2α (10 micrograms, i.p.) at 24 or 48 h post-ovulation. Ovaries from each group were collected 8 h later for assessment of active caspase -3 enzyme and apoptosis (measured by the TUNEL assay) in the CL. Regardless of genotype or treatment, CL in ovaries collected from mice injected 24 h after ovulation showed no evidence of active caspase -3 or apoptosis. However, PGF 2α or Jo2 at 48 h post-ovulation and collected 8 h later induced caspase -3 activation in 13.2 ± 1.8% and 13.7 ± 2.2 % of the cells, respectively and resulted in 16.35 ± 0.7% (PGF 2α ) and 14.3 ± 2.5% TUNEL-positive cells when compared to 1.48 ± 0.8% of cells CL in IgG treated controls. In contrast, CL in ovaries collected from caspase -3 deficient mice whether treated with PGF 2α , Jo2, or control IgG at 48 h post-ovulation showed little evidence of active caspase -3 or apoptosis. CL of WT mice treated with Jo2 at 48 h post-ovulation had an 8-fold increase in the activity of caspase -8, an activator of caspase -3 that is coupled to the FAS death receptor. Somewhat unexpectedly, however, treatment of WT mice with PGF 2α at 48 h post-ovulation resulted in a 22-fold increase in caspase -8 activity in the CL, despite the fact that the receptor for PGF 2α has not been shown to be directly coupled to caspase -8 recruitment and activation. We hypothesize that PGF 2α initiates luteolysis in vivo , at least in part, by increasing the bioactivity or bioavailability of cytokines, such as FasL and that multiple endocrine factors work in concert to activate caspase -3-driven apoptosis during luteolysis

Association between reproductive traits and four microsatellites in Brangus-ibagé cattle. Genetics and Molecular Biology

Abstract The aim of the present study was to verify associations between reproductive efficiency and four microsatellite markers located in synteny with genes involved in the regulation of reproductive mechanisms. A sample of 107 females from a Brangus Ibagé population (5/8 Aberdeen Angus x 3/8 Nelore) was characterized for ETH225 (D9S1) and MM12E6 (D9S20) microsatellites, mapped on chromosome 9, and HEL5 (D21S15) and AFZ1 (D21S37) on chromosome 21. Associations between the genetic markers and reproductive efficiency were determined by one-way analysis of variance using calving interval (CI), live weight at calving (LWC), live weight at first calving (LW1C) and live weight at second calving (LW2C) as dependent variables. The genotypes were classified according to allele size into homozygous for long alleles, homozygous for short alleles and heterozygous. A longer CI was observed for individuals homozygous for long alleles at the HEL5 locus compared with the others (p = 0.022). For the AFZ1 locus, an inverse correlation between allele size and calving interval was observed (p = 0.022), suggesting that homozygosity for long alleles at this microsatellite could be advantageous. Analysis of the combined effect of favorable genotypes at HEL5 and AFZ1 indicated that animals with unfavorable genotypes (homozygous for long alleles at HEL5 and homozygous for short alleles at AFZ1) presented a significantly longer CI (p = 0.003) when compared to the other genotypes. The ETH225 and MM12E6 systems did not present any association with CI. None of the systems studied showed any significant association with LWC, LW1C or LW2C