Effect of electro-acupuncture on ovarian expression of alpha (1)- and beta (2)-adrenoceptors, and p75 neurotrophin receptors in rats with steroid-induced polycystic ovaries.

• BACKGROUND: Estradiol valerate (EV)-induced polycystic ovaries (PCO) in rats is associated with an increase in ovarian sympathetic outflow. Low-frequency (2 Hz) electro-acupuncture (EA) has been shown to modulate sympathetic markers as well as ovarian blood flow as a reflex response via the ovarian sympathetic nerves, in rats with EV-induced PCO. METHODS: In the present study, we further tested the hypothesis that repeated 2 Hz EA treatments modulate ovarian sympathetic outflow in rats with PCO, induced by a single i.m. injection of EV, by investigating the mRNA expression, the amount and distribution of proteins of alpha1a-, alpha1b-, alpha1d-, and beta2-adrenoceptors (ARs), as well as the low-affinity neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR). RESULTS: It was found that EV injection results in significantly higher mRNA expression of ovarian alpha1b- and alpha1d-AR in PCO rats compared to control rats. The p75NTR and beta2-ARs mRNA expression were unchanged in the PCO ovary. Low-frequency EA resulted in a significantly lower expression of beta2-ARs mRNA expression in PCO rats. The p75NTR mRNA was unaffected in both PCO and control rats. PCO ovaries displayed significantly higher amount of protein of alpha1a-, alpha1b- and alpha1d-ARs, and of p75NTR, compared to control rats, that were all counteracted by repeated low-frequency EA treatments, except for alpha1b-AR. CONCLUSION: The present study shows that EA normalizes most of the EV-induced changes in ovarian ARs. Furthermore, EA was able to prevent the EV-induced up regulation of p75NTR, probably by normalizing the sympathetic ovarian response to NGF action. Our data indicate a possible role of EA in the regulation of ovarian responsiveness to sympathetic inputs and depict a possible complementary therapeutic approach to overcoming sympathetic-related anovulation in women with PCOS.

Subject headings

MEDICIN OCH HÄLSOVETENSKAP  -- Medicinska och farmaceutiska grundvetenskaper -- Fysiologi (hsv//swe)

MEDICAL AND HEALTH SCIENCES  -- Basic Medicine -- Physiology (hsv//eng)

Keyword

Animals

Corpus Luteum

cytology

Electroacupuncture

Estradiol

analogs & derivatives

Female

Gene Expression Regulation

Ovarian Follicle

cytology

Ovary

metabolism

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome

chemically induced

metabolism

therapy

RNA

Messenger

metabolism

Rats

Rats

Inbred WKY

Receptor

Nerve Growth Factor

metabolism

Receptors

Adrenergic

alpha-1

metabolism

Receptors

Adrenergic

beta-2

metabolism

Publication and Content Type

ref (subject category)

art (subject category)