Phosphodiesterase inhibitor 3-isobutyl-methyl-xanthine affects rabbit ovaries and oviduct

Effect of selected natural and synthetic substances on rabbit reproduction-A mini review

Numerous natural and synthetic substances have effects on reproduction through several mechanisms. This review aims to summarize the impact of green tea (GT), yucca schidigera (YS) extract, curcuma longa (CL), adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) and isobutyl-1-methyl-xanthine (IBMX) stimulators on rabbit reproduction performance. To obtain a comprehensive overview of this topic, the keywords "reproduction," "substances," "spermatogenesis," "embryogenesis,"hormonal profil", "green tea", "yucca schidigera" were searched in such databases as WOS and PubMed to obtain relevant information. Spermatozoa profile was positively effected by the GT and YS, however, cAMP inhibitors stimulated spermatozoa motility resulted in positive or negative effects depending on the doses. Similarly, embryogenesis and hormonal profile were positively influenced by the GT, YS, cAMP and IBMX in a proper administration dose. Further research is needed to improve current knowledge about these substances to identify potential effects on the other reproduction parameters. Furthermore, future studies should combine GT, YS and CL with different plant extracts to determine their effects on spermatozoa status, embryogenesis as well as hormonal profile as key outcomes. This review summarizes current knowledge about effect of natural and synthetic substances on rabbit reproduction.

Effects of Dietary Polyphenols from Olive Mill Waste Waters on Inflammatory and Apoptotic Effectors in Rabbit Ovary

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of dietary polyphenols on the expression of the effectors involved in inflammation and apoptosis in rabbit ovary. New Zealand White female rabbits were fed a basal control diet (CTR), or the same diet supplemented with a polyphenolic concentrate (POL, 282.4 mg/kg) obtained from olive mill waste waters. The follicle counts and the relative mRNA (RT-qPCR) and protein (immunohistochemistry) expression of the effectors involved in inflammation (cyclooxygenase-2; interleukin-1beta; tumor necrosis factor-alpha, TNFA) and apoptosis (BCL2-associated X protein, BAX), detected in the ovaries of both groups, were examined. The POL diet increased the primary and total follicles number. Cyclooxygenase-2 gene expression was higher (p < 0.05) in the POL group than in the CTR group, whereas BAX was lower (p < 0.05) in POL than CTR. Immunohistochemistry revealed the presence of all the proteins examined, with weaker (p < 0.05) COX2 and BAX signals in POL. No differences between the CTR and POL groups were observed for IL1B and TNFA gene and protein expression. These preliminary findings show that dietary polyphenols modulate inflammatory and apoptotic activities in rabbit ovary, regulating cyclooxygenase-2 and BAX expression, thus suggesting a functional involvement of these dietary compounds in mammalian reproduction.

The phytoestrogen, diosgenin, directly stimulates ovarian cell functions in two farm animal species

The present in vitro study was conducted to examine the direct action of the plant steroidal sapogenin, diosgenin, on basic farm animal ovarian cell functions. As models, we used cultured porcine ovarian granulosa cells, porcine whole follicles, and rabbit ovarian fragments. The effects of diosgenin (0, 1, 10, or 100 μg/mL medium) on the markers of proliferation, cytoplasmic apoptosis, steroid (progesterone: P4, testosterone: T, and estradiol: E2) release, and peptide hormone (insulin-like growth factor I: IGF-I) release were analyzed by quantitative immunocytochemistry and radioimmunoassay. Diosgenin promoted proliferation, apoptosis, and T and E2 release and inhibited P4 output in cultured porcine granulosa cells. Similarly, cultured porcine ovarian follicles showed diosgenin-induced inhibition of P4 and stimulation of T release. In cultured rabbit ovarian fragments, diosgenin stimulated P4 and IGF-I release. This is the first study showing that diosgenin can promote basic ovarian cell functions such as proliferation, apoptosis, and steroid and peptide hormone release. The similar effects of diosgenin on porcine granulosa cells and ovarian follicles suggest that granulosa cells are the primary ovarian target of diosgenin. The contrasting effects of diosgenin on porcine and rabbit ovarian P4 output suggest that diosgenin functions in a species-specific manner. These observations indicate that diosgenin has potential applications for improving female reproduction.