Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UNIPROT:P01185 (vasopressin)
 23,126 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

The effects of norepinephrine, phentalamine, oxytocin, vasopressin, several prostaglandins, and indomethacin on the spontaneous motility of isolated guinea pig cauda epididymidis were explored. Phentolamine and indomethacin reduced the isometric peak tension of spontaneous epididymal contractions. Phentolamine also depressed the frequency. Both findings suggest that catecholamines and endogenous prostaglandins are in some way regulators of the spontaneous motility of the cauda epididymidis. Norepinephrine resulted in the development of a distinct, sustained, tonic contraction without phasic activity, whereas prostaglandins E1, E2, and F2 alpha elicited a tonic increase accompanied by frequent, superimposed, phasic contractions. Both oxytocin and vasopressin comparably enhanced epididymal motility, producing contractile responses similar to those observed with prostaglandins. Since the epididymal contractions can influence the time spent by spermatozoa in passing through the ductus epididymidis, the above-mentioned compounds could play an important role in spermatozoal transport via modulation of epididymal contractile activity. In addition, such naturally occurring substances might regulate the release of sperm from the last portion of the epididymis into the ductus deferens.
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PMID:Physiologic and pharmacologic studies on the motility of isolated guinea pig cauda epididymidis. 80 41

An attempt was made to determine the importance of neurohypophyseal hormones for the emission of semen in rabbits. Arginine-vasopressin was used in a lower dose than by previous investigators. An analogue, de-amino-oxytocin (ODA 914) was included. Besides these peptides, arginine-v asotocin, the antidiuretic hormone in birds, was also used. This substance has been shown to be present in the pineal gland of the human fetus and may have a physiological function in animals. Teaser doe rabbits were ovariectomized 4 weeks before being used. 3 days before the experiments they were given 60 mcg of estradiol benzoate in arachis oil by sc injection. These injections were repeated every 3rd day during the experiments. Males, in 4 groups, received 1 of the hormones or saline iv every 2nd day until 15 injections had been given. About 30 seconds after each injection, a teaser doe rabbit was introduced and a sample of semen collected. The latency period from the time of introduction to the 1st ejaculation was timed with a stopwatch. Volume of ejaculate was measured and spermatozoa counted. The peptides injected had no effect on ejaculate volume. However, in those injected with vasotocin some difference was noted (p less than .05). Latency time was similar in all. Variations between individuals in ejaculate characteristics approached variations in differently treated rabbits. The number of spermatozoa was significantly increased only by arginine-vasopressin (p less than .05) for the 1st ejaculate. This is thought to be due to a conditioned response with release of neurohypophyseal hormones. It is concluded that vasopressin is the neurohypophyseal hormone which stimulates the release of spermatozoa in rabbits. The release of oxytocin during coitus may have other functions affecting male fertility.
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PMID:Neurophpophysial hormones and the emission of semen in rabbits. 120 23

Research on the physiopathologic and biochemical nature of prostaglandins (PGs) suggest that PGs play a role in reproductive physiology. In vitro studies show that the PGE series decrease the motility of the human uterus, fallopian tubes, and ureter, and produce vasodilatation. PGFs cause vasoconstriction and increased motility of the uterus, fallopian tubes, ureter, and gastrointestinal muscle. PGs are also known to inhibit lipolysis, platelet aggregation, and gastric secretion. The exact mechanism of PGs are not fully understood, but evidence suggests that many responses can be attributed to interference with the enzyme adenyl cyclase, which catalyzes the formation of adenosine 3',5'-monophosphate (cyclic AMP) from adenosine triphosphate. The adenyl cyclase-cyclic AMP system mediates lipolysis, steroidogenesis, gastric secretion, certain smooth muscle motility responses, and increase in permeability due to vasopressin. Early studies of the myometrial effects of PGs showed that the PGE series inhibited the motility of the human myometrium in vitro while the PGF series produced mixed responses. The role of PGF2alpha in parturition has not been established but evidence suggests that it has a potential role as an oxytocic in cases of therapeutic abortion. In the area of human fertility, the physiologic role of PGs in seminal fluid is hypothesized to facilitate the migration of spermatozoa from the vagina into the uterine cavity. Karolinska Institute researchers have found that some infertile males have low PG levels in their ejaculates and are now working with methods of improving the PG levels to improve their fertility. Pickles et al. proposed a potential role for PGs in the etiology of dysmenorrhea, having found a significantly higher ratio of PGF to PGE in a series of patients with severe dysmenorrhea than in a comparable series of normal patients. The luteolytic and antinidatory effects of PGF2alpha are being investigated and studies appear encouraging. PGs have therapeutic potentials in induction of labor, treatment of infertility, morning-after conception, treatment of dysmenorrhea, and contraception by alteration of fallopian tube motility.
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PMID:The role of prostaglandins in reproductive physiology. 491 53

Acting in vivo, adrenalin and noradrenalin cause a statistically significant and permanent decrease in the motility of mouse spermatozoa remaining in the vas deferens. Intratesticular injection of vasopressin, oxytocin, insulin, and glucagon results in a decrease in spermatozoa motility in vas deferens, removal the spermatozoa to PBS in vitro, and an increase in percentage of motile spermatozoa on incubation medium. Thyroxine, calcytonin, and TRH did not affect motility of mouse spermatozoa in vivo.
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PMID:Effects of selected hormones on the motility of spermatozoa in the mouse vas deferens. 785 64

Chemotaxis assays of mouse spermatozoa were performed in vitro. Amounts of calcitonin (5.0 IU/ml, 10.0 IU/mL) and acetylcholine (1.0 mg/ml) in Biggers-Whitter-Whittingham medium filled out wells of experimental plate were increased directly by migration of mouse spermatozoa to the medium containing these hormones. This effect was interpreted as chemotaxis of spermatozoa. Low concentrations of hormones were not attractants and high concentrations of acetylcholine (5.0 mg/mL) decreased spermatozoa migration. Glucagon and vasopressin results in a decrease in concentration of migrated spermatozoa. In low concentrations of these hormones differences in sperm migration were not observed. Presence of histamine and thyroxine in BWW medium did not affect the migration behavior of mouse spermatozoa in vitro.
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PMID:Chemotaction of mouse spermatozoa induced by certain hormones. 857 70

This study was performed to determine whether oxytocin or vasopressin affect the transport of spermatozoa from the epididymis of rams in vivo. Under general anaesthesia, cannulae were inserted into each ductus deferens and passed into the cauda epididymis of 24 Oxford Down cross rams and the luminal fluid was collected at 10 min intervals for 2-3 h. Animals were divided into seven groups and received either (i) 2 ml 0.9% saline, (ii) 10 micrograms oxytocin, (iii) 100 micrograms oxytocin, (iv) 100 micrograms oxytocin antagonist, (v) 300 micrograms oxytocin antagonist followed by 100 micrograms oxytocin, (vi) 100 micrograms vasopressin, or (vii) 100 micrograms vasopressin followed by 100 micrograms oxytocin, all by i.v. injection. The mass of fluid and number of spermatozoa in each 10 min sample was measured and the motility of the spermatozoa was assessed. Treatment with saline did not affect the mass or the number of spermatozoa in the fluid collected. Oxytocin at 10 micrograms significantly increased both the output of fluid and the number of spermatozoa by twofold. Oxytocin at 100 micrograms produced a greater increase in both fluid output and the number of spermatozoa within 10 min of administration of the peptide. Treatment with oxytocin antagonist had no immediate effect, but subsequently caused a significant reduction in both fluid output and the number of spermatozoa. Pretreatment with oxytocin antagonist inhibited the stimulatory effect of oxytocin. Vasopressin did not increase the number or concentration of spermatozoa in the fluid and appeared to decrease fluid output. No significant changes in the morphology or motility of the spermatozoa collected was observed in any of the samples. These data demonstrate that oxytocin has specific actions on the epididymis to increase sperm transport. They indicate that local oxytocin may be involved in regulating basal contractility of the cauda epididymidis and that augmentation by the peptide in the peripheral circulation, as occurs around the time of ejaculation, may promote a significant increase in the transport of spermatozoa into the vas deferens and ejaculate.
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PMID:Effects of oxytocin and vasopressin on sperm transport from the cauda epididymis in sheep. 1069 Jan 97

Bradykinin and a number of peptide hormones such as angiotensin, endothelin, and vasopressin stimulate anion secretion in rat epididymis via local formation of PGE(2). These effects are mediated by cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 isozyme. The present study was undertaken to assess the androgen control of COX expression in the epididymis. Adult male Sprague-Dawley rats were bilaterally castrated through a scrotal route. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to measure COX-1 and COX-2 mRNAs in the epididymis in normal and castrated rats. Anion secretion in epithelia grown from the epididymides of these rats was studied by the short-circuit current technique. In normal rats, COX-1 and COX-2 mRNAs were detected in the intact epididymis. Elimination of spermatozoa by the technique of efferent duct ligation or flushing out spermatozoa did not affect the expression of either enzyme in the epididymis, indicating that the epithelium, but not spermatozoa, expressed the enzymes. Castration caused a time-dependent decrease in expression of COX-1 and COX-2 mRNAs, which were partially restored upon testosterone replacement. In epithelia cultured from castrated rats, there was a complete loss of bradykinin-induced anion secretion. This effect was reversible upon testosterone replacement. Although epithelia from castrated rats did not respond to bradykinin, they could respond to cAMP, forskolin, and PGE(2) with only 20% loss of response magnitude when compared with epithelia from normal rats. These results suggest that the expression of COX-1 and COX-2 are dependent on androgen. The loss of COX-1 expression after castration correlates with the specific loss of anion secretion induced by bradykinin and possibly other hormones.
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PMID:Androgen control of cyclooxygenase expression in the rat epididymis. 1095 20

GLUTX1 or GLUT8 is a newly characterized glucose transporter isoform that is expressed at high levels in the testis and brain and at lower levels in several other tissues. Its expression was mapped in the testis and brain by using specific antibodies. In the testis, immunoreactivity was expressed in differentiating spermatocytes of type 1 stage but undetectable in mature spermatozoa. In the brain, GLUTX1 distribution was selective and localized to a variety of structures, mainly archi- and paleocortex. It was found in hippocampal and dentate gyrus neurons as well as amygdala and primary olfactory cortex. In these neurons, its location was close to the plasma membrane of cell bodies and sometimes in proximal dendrites. High GLUTX1 levels were detected in the hypothalamus, supraoptic nucleus, median eminence, and the posterior pituitary. Neurons of these areas synthesize and secrete vasopressin and oxytocin. As shown by double immunofluorescence microscopy and immunogold labeling, GLUTX1 was expressed only in vasopressin neurons. By immunogold labeling of ultrathin cryosections microscopy, GLUTX1 was identified in dense core vesicles of synaptic nerve endings of the supraoptic nucleus and secretory granules of the vasopressin positive neurons. This localization suggests an involvement of GLUTX1 both in specific neuron function and endocrine mechanisms.
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PMID:Immunolocalization of GLUTX1 in the testis and to specific brain areas and vasopressin-containing neurons. 1175 19

Passage of spermatozoa through the epididymis and emission of sperm during ejaculation are based on spontaneous and induced contractions of epididymal peritubular muscle layers. This study deals with the ejaculation-relevant factors noradrenaline (NA) and oxytocin (OT) and their contractile effects in the course of the bovine epididymal duct. Muscle tension recording revealed excitatory effects of NA in all duct regions. A peculiarity was found in a duct section between the mid-cauda and ductus deferens, where the responsiveness to NA was particularly faint in comparison with the adjacent regions. NA-induced contraction was primarily mediated by postjunctional alpha(2)-adrenoceptors (ADRA) in the caput and corpus regions, and by alpha(1)-ADRA in the cauda region. Contrary to NA, OT exerted regionally varying effects. The peptide induced contraction in intact and epithelium-denuded caput as well as in epithelium-denuded corpus segments but had a relaxant net effect in intact corpus and proximal cauda segments. Within the mid-cauda, OT evoked strong contraction, which progressively decreased distally. Receptor specificity of the epididymal OT effects was verified using the selective OT receptor (OTR) agonist [Thr(4),Gly(7)]OT and vasopressin. OTR immunoreactivity was detected in the epididymal peritubular muscle wall and epithelial principal cells. RT-PCR analysis confirmed the presence of OTR in all duct regions. In summary, different contractile responses to OT and NA occur in the course of the epididymal duct, possibly preventing excessive sperm transport through the corpus and serving orthograde emission of sperm during ejaculation.
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PMID:Differential modulation of bovine epididymal activity by oxytocin and noradrenaline. 1770 67

Arginine vasopressin (VP) is neurohypophysial hormone has been implicated in stimulating contractile activity of the male reproductive tract in the testis. Higher levels of VP decrease sperm count and motility. However, very little is known about the involvement of VP in controlling mammalian reproductive process. The goal of this study was to confirm that effect of VP receptor (AVPR2) on sperm function in capacitation condition. Deamino [Cys 1, D-ArgS] vasopressin (dDAVP), an AVPR2 agonist that operates only on AVPR2, was used. Also, Mouse spermatozoa were incubated with various concentrations of dDAVP (10(-11)-10(-5) M) and sperm motility, capacitation status, Protein Kinase A activity (PKA), tyrosine phosphorylation, fertilization, and embryo development were assessed using computer-assisted sperm analysis, Combined Hoechst 33258/chlortetracycline fluorescence, Western blotting, and in vitro fertilization, respectively. AVPR2 was placed on the acrosome region and mid-piece in cauda epididymal spermatozoa, but the caput epididymal spermatozoa was mid-piece only. The high dDAVP treatment (10(-8) and 10(-5) M) significantly decreased sperm motility, intracellular pH and PKA substrates (approximately 55 and 22 kDa) and increased Ca(2+) concentration. The highest concentration treatment significantly decreased PKA substrate (approximately 23 kDa) and tyrosine phosphorylation (approximately 30 kDa). VP detrimentally affected capacitation, acrosome reaction, and embryo development. Treatment with the lowest concentration (10(-11) M) was not significantly different. Our data have shown that VP stimulates ion transport across sperm membrane through interactions with AVPR2. VP has a detrimental effect in sperm function, fertilization, and embryonic development, suggesting its critical role in the acquisition of fertilizing ability of mouse spermatozoa. These research findings will enable further study to determine molecular mechanism associated with fertility in capacitation and fertilization. It is also an important pivotal precondition to the progress of diagnostic test to identify infertility and to apply male contraception.
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PMID:Vasopressin effectively suppresses male fertility. 2402 53


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