Effect of melatonin on regulation of apoptosis and steroidogenesis in cultured buffalo granulosa cells.
| Intervention | Direction | Endpoint | Population | Dosage | Impact | Claim # |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
melatonin | increase | mRNA level of melatonin receptor 1a (MT1) | cultured buffalo granulosa cells (GCs) | - | significant upregulation | #1 |
melatonin | no change | melatonin receptor 1b (MT2) | cultured buffalo granulosa cells (GCs) | - | without affecting | #2 |
melatonin treatment | decrease | mRNA level of FSH and GnRH receptors | cultured buffalo granulosa cells (GCs) | - | significantly downregulated | #3 |
100 nM dose of melatonin | increase | mRNA level of LH receptor | cultured buffalo granulosa cells (GCs) | - | significantly increased | #4 |
100 nM of melatonin | decrease | basal progesterone production | cultured buffalo granulosa cells (GCs) | - | significantly decreased | #5 |
100 nM of melatonin | decrease | mRNA levels of StAR and p450ssc | cultured buffalo granulosa cells (GCs) | - | significant decrease | #6 |
100 nM of melatonin | decrease | genes (Insig1, Lipe, and Scrab1) that affect cholesterol availability | cultured buffalo granulosa cells (GCs) | - | lower mRNA level | #7 |
melatonin supplementation | decrease | apoptosis | cultured buffalo granulosa cells (GCs) | - | suppressed | #8 |
melatonin supplementation | increase | G2/M phase of cell cycle progression | cultured buffalo granulosa cells (GCs) | - | enhanced | #9 |
melatonin supplementation | decrease | caspase-3, p21, and p27 | cultured buffalo granulosa cells (GCs) | - | decrease in protein expression | #10 |
melatonin supplementation | increase | bcl2 | cultured buffalo granulosa cells (GCs) | - | increase in protein expression | #11 |
This study was aimed to address melatonin receptor expression, mRNA level of hypothalamus and hypophysis hormone receptors (GnRHR, FSHR, and LHR), steroidogenesis, cell cycle, apoptosis, and their regulatory factors after addition of melatonin for 24 hr in cultured buffalo granulosa cells (GCs). The results revealed that direct addition of different concentrations of melatonin (100 pM, 1 nM, and 100 nM) resulted in significant upregulation (p < 0.05) of mRNA level of melatonin receptor 1a (MT1) without affecting melatonin receptor 1b (MT2). Melatonin treatment significantly downregulated (p < 0.05) mRNA level of FSH and GnRH receptors, whereas 100 nM dose of melatonin significantly increased mRNA level of LH receptor. Treatment with 100 nM of melatonin significantly decreased the basal progesterone production with significant decrease (p < 0.05) in mRNA levels of StAR and p450ssc, and lower mRNA level of genes (Insig1, Lipe, and Scrab1) that affect cholesterol availability. Melatonin supplementation suppressed apoptosis (100 nM, p < 0.05) and enhanced G2/M phase (1 nM, 100 nM, p < 0.05) of cell cycle progression which was further corroborated by decrease in protein expression of caspase-3, p21, and p27 and increase in bcl2. Our results demonstrate that melatonin regulates gonadotrophin receptors and ovarian steroidogenesis through MT1. Furthermore, the notion of its incorporation in apoptosis and proliferation of buffalo GCs extends its role in buffalo ovaries.