Ghrelin ovarian cell expression in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome: an immunohistochemical evaluation.

INTRODUCTION: The influence of ghrelin on different organs has been studied recently, e.g. in the regulation of pituitary hormone release, regulation of energy homeostasis, glucose metabolism and insulin secretion, cell proliferation, and reproductive function. However, the etiology of polycystic ovary syndrome has not been fully explained. The aim of our study was to estimate the presence of ghrelin in polycystic ovaries cells and evaluation of the relationship between ghrelin occurrence and cells proliferation. METHODS: In the present work we have compared ten polycystic ovaries with ovaries without pathology as the control group. We used immunohistochemical method to detect ghrelin. The cells proliferation was evaluated by Ki 67 proliferation index. RESULTS: Ghrelin immunostaining was demonstrated in cytoplasm of ovarian secondary interstitial cells and in atretic corpus luteum. The cell nuclei were ghrelin positive in granulosa, theca layers of follicular cyst in both groups as well as in luteal cells of young corpus luteum in healthy ovaries. Ki 67 immunostaining was observed in granulosa and theca layers of follicular cyst in polycystic and healthy ovaries. CONCLUSIONS: It is possible that local ghrelin expression plays an important role in the direct control of ovarian development and function and ghrelin may participate in patomechanism of PCOS.

Immunocytochemical observations on the organ distribution of exogenous monomeric and dimerized lysozyme.

Using commercial anti-lysozyme antibodies and anti-dimerized lysozyme rabbit serum produced by us we demonstrated by immunohistochemistry, in some organs of rats, the expression of exogenous egg white lysozyme preparations beside the native lysozyme. After oral administration, the egg white lysozyme was detected in intestinal epithelium, proximal and distal tubules of some nephrons, pulmonary alveolar walls and hepatocytes in the 3rd zone of liver acini, whereas native lysozyme was strongly expressed in intestinal and pulmonary macrophages in both the experimental and control animals. However, expression of the dimerized lysozyme released from the intraperitoneally implanted mini-osmotic pumps and detected using specific antisera was evident only on erythrocytes in intestinal blood vessels. It is concluded that the lysozyme preparations administered per os or parenterally are resorbed to blood circulation and distributed among various organs in an active form and maintaining their antigenic specificity. It may speak for their direct anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects in respiratory, urinary, digestive and other systems.

Ketanserin, an antagonist of 5-HT2A receptor of serotonin, inhibits testosterone secretion by rat Leydig cells in vitro.

The effect of ketanserin, an antagonist of 5-HT2A receptor of serotonin, added to the culture medium, on basal and LH-stimulated testosterone secretion was studied in primary cultures of adolescent rat Leydig cells. Ketanserin decreased the basal secretion of testosterone but showed an insignificant influence on the LH-stimulated process. It can be concluded that ketanserin may affect the testosterone-secreting cells by an indirect action at the vascular level as well as directly at the level of Leydig cells, at least in adolescent rats, leading to down-regulation of the basal testosterone secretion.