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Gibberellic acid acts as an agonist of steroidogenesis in male rats
Author(s) -
Premalatha R.,
Jubendradass R.,
Srikumar K.,
Mathur P. P.
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
andrologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1439-0272
pISSN - 0303-4569
DOI - 10.1111/and.12171
Subject(s) - medicine , endocrinology , testosterone (patch) , steroidogenic acute regulatory protein , lipid peroxidation , antioxidant , hormone , androgen , agonist , biology , chemistry , receptor , oxidative stress , biochemistry , gene expression , gene
Summary Testicular steroidogenesis has significant implication in male reproductive function. Although the effects of various signalling molecules on testicular functions have been studied earlier, the influence of the plant hormone gibberellic acid ( GA 3 ) on steroidogenesis has not been investigated. Acute (4 h) and subacute (15 days) studies using this compound through oral administration (150 μg day −1 ) to groups of normal and diabetic W istar male rats were therefore carried out. Results indicate that (i) enhanced activity of steroidogenic markers 3β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β‐ HSD ), 17β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β‐ HSD ), elevated tissue testosterone (T) content, increased steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (St AR ) and androgen binding protein ( ABP ) levels with reduced lipid peroxidation and improved antioxidant defence in this treatment group of normal and diabetic rat testis, and (ii) elevated lipid peroxidation and diminished antioxidant defence, with insignificant change in 3β‐ HSD and 17β‐ HSD activity and testosterone level in acute treatment group of normal and diabetic rats testis, were noted. The observed increase in the activity of testicular 3β‐ HSD and 17β‐ HSD along with elevated testosterone content established GA 3 as an inducer of steroidogenesis in rat.