RESUMO
The peptide alpha-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (alpha-MSH) occurs within the pituitary, brain, skin, ovary and other tissues, and has potent anti-inflammatory activity. For this reason, we examined its effects on an autoimmune disease: the experimental autoimmune-oophoritis (EAO). We analyzed the effect of the peptide on the release of nitric oxide (NO) and progesterone from cultured ovarian granulosa (GL) cells at 0, 7, 14, 21 and 28 days after sensitization of the rats. On day 0 the progesterone levels were higher in estrous rats than those in proestrus and diestrus. The NO amount did not differ among the diverse days of the cycles. The administration of alpha-MSH induced a decrease of NO in estrus and diestrus, but did not affect progesterone release. The EAO rats showed a period of constant diestrus ranging from about 7 to 14 days after immunization. At the onset (day 7) and the end of this period (day 14), the NO significantly increased in estrous rats which was correlated with a reduction in progesterone concentration. This effect was reverted by alpha-MSH. At 21 and 28 days, progesterone release increased only when the rats were in proestrus, while NO production was similar to that on day 0. Administration of alpha-MSH reduced progesterone release when the rats were in proestrus and these results were correlated with an increase in NO only at day 14. The results obtained suggest that alpha-MSH could act as a modulator of EAO, specially when the rats are in estrus.
Assuntos
Doenças Autoimunes/metabolismo , Células da Granulosa/efeitos dos fármacos , Óxido Nítrico/metabolismo , Ooforite/metabolismo , Ovário/efeitos dos fármacos , Progesterona/metabolismo , alfa-MSH/farmacologia , Animais , Doenças Autoimunes/sangue , Doenças Autoimunes/induzido quimicamente , Doenças Autoimunes/tratamento farmacológico , Células Cultivadas , Modelos Animais de Doenças , Estradiol/sangue , Feminino , Células da Granulosa/metabolismo , Ooforite/sangue , Ooforite/induzido quimicamente , Ooforite/tratamento farmacológico , Ovário/citologia , Ovário/metabolismo , Progesterona/sangue , Ratos , Ratos WistarRESUMO
We have previously found the serum concentration of the aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen, an indicator of collagen metabolism, to be increased in advanced ovarian cancer. In this study we measured the serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen concentration in healthy women during the menstrual cycle and in patients with salpingo-oophoritis, leiomyomas, endometriosis, and benign ovarian tumors. The concentration was higher in the luteal phase than that in the follicular phase, suggesting an association of collagen metabolism with ovarian steroid hormones. Severe salpingo-oophoritis increased the serum level of the aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen with a decrease to normal during recovery. Elevated values were occasionally seen in endometriosis and leiomyomas. These findings indicate that the aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen is a relatively unspecific indicator of ovarian carcinoma.
Assuntos
Colágeno/metabolismo , Doenças dos Genitais Femininos/metabolismo , Fragmentos de Peptídeos/sangue , Pró-Colágeno/sangue , Adulto , Cistadenoma/sangue , Cistadenoma/diagnóstico , Cistadenoma/metabolismo , Diagnóstico Diferencial , Endometriose/sangue , Endometriose/metabolismo , Feminino , Fase Folicular , Doenças dos Genitais Femininos/sangue , Humanos , Leiomioma/sangue , Leiomioma/metabolismo , Fase Luteal , Ooforite/sangue , Ooforite/metabolismo , Cistos Ovarianos/sangue , Cistos Ovarianos/diagnóstico , Cistos Ovarianos/metabolismo , Neoplasias Ovarianas/sangue , Neoplasias Ovarianas/diagnóstico , Neoplasias Ovarianas/metabolismo , Radioimunoensaio , Salpingite/sangue , Salpingite/metabolismo , Neoplasias Uterinas/sangue , Neoplasias Uterinas/metabolismoRESUMO
A woman with autoimmune oophoritis was found to have luteal phase progesterone levels throughout a six-month period of amenorrhea. The common presentation of amenorrhea or metrorrhagia, despite the presence of a corpus luteum, in women with autoimmune oophoritis might result from this chronic progesterone production. A clinical picture consistent with a persistent corpus luteum may be a very early sign of autoimmune oophoritis.