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Does melatonin influence the apoptosis in rat uterus of animals exposed to continuous light?

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Abstract

Melatonin has been described as a protective agent against cell death and oxidative stress in different tissues, including in the reproductive system. However, the information on the action of this hormone in rat uterine apoptosis is low. Our objective was to evaluate the effects of melatonin on mechanisms of cell death in uterus of rats exposed to continuous light stress. Twenty adult Wistar rats were divided into two groups: GContr (vehicle control) and GExp which were treated with melatonin (0.4 mg/mL), both were exposed to continuous light for 90 days. The uterus was removed and processed for quantitative real time PCR (qRT-PCR), using PCR-array plates of the apoptosis pathway; for immunohistochemistry and TUNEL. The results of qRT-PCR of GEXP group showed up-regulation of 13 and 7, pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes, respectively, compared to GContr group. No difference in pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, Fas and Faslg) expression was observed by immunohistochemistry, although the number of TUNEL-positive cells was lower in the group treated with melatonin compared to the group not treated with this hormone. Our data suggest that melatonin influences the mechanism and decreases the apoptosis in uterus of rats exposed to continuous light.

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Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Laboratory of Structural and Molecular Gynecology (LIM - 58), Departamento de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia - Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo and Laboratory of Molecular Pathology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo. This work was supported by São Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP - Process number: 09/51754-0) and National Council of Technological and Scientific Development (CNPq - Process Number: 137442/2009-2). We also thank Priscilla C. Addios for technical support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ginecologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, Avenida Doutor Arnaldo, 455. Sala 2113. Cerqueira César, CEP: 01246-923, São Paulo, Brazil

    Cecília S. Ferreira

  2. Laboratory of Structural and Molecular Gynecology (LIM-58), Disciplina de Ginecologia - Departmento de Ginecologia e Obstetrícia, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Cecília S. Ferreira, Kátia C. Carvalho, Carla C. Maganhin, Edmund C. Baracat & José M. Soares Jr.

  3. Laboratory of Pathology Molecular, Departamento de Patologia, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Ana P. R. Paiotti & Celina T. F. Oshima

  4. Departamento de Morfologia e Genética, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil

    Manuel J. Simões

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  1. Cecília S. Ferreira
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  2. Kátia C. Carvalho
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Ferreira, C.S., Carvalho, K.C., Maganhin, C.C. et al. Does melatonin influence the apoptosis in rat uterus of animals exposed to continuous light?. Apoptosis 21, 155–162 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10495-015-1195-0

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