Induction and subcellular redistribution of progesterone receptor A and B by tamoxifen in the hypothalamic ventromedial neurons of young adult female Wistar rats

• Type: Article in International Scientific Journal
• Date: 2016

Authors

Sa, SI (Author) FMUP; Fonseca, BM (Author) FFUP; Teixeira, NA (Author) FFUP; Madeira, MD (Author) FMUP

Journal

Title: Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology

Vol. 420

Pages: 1-10

ISSN: 0303-7207

Publisher: Elsevier

Indexing

ISI Web of Knowledge - 5 Citations

Scopus - 6 Citations

Other information

Authenticus ID: P-00K-0YE

DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2015.11.015

Abstract (EN): The ventrolateral division of the hypothalamic ventromedial nucleus (VMNvl) is a brain center for estrogen-dependent triggering of female sexual behavior upon progesterone receptor (PR) activation. We examined the agonistic and antagonistic actions of tamoxifen in this nucleus by analyzing its effects on the total number of PR-immunoreactive neurons, PR mRNA and protein levels, and subcellular location of PRs in ovariectomized Wistar rats. The results show that tamoxifen has no agonistic action in the number of PR-immunoreactive neurons, but increases PR expression and labeling in the nucleus and cytoplasm of VMNvl neurons that constitutively express PRs. As an antagonist, tamoxifen partially inhibited the estradiol-dependent increase in the number of PR-immunoreactive neurons and in PR mRNA and protein levels, without interfering with the subcellular location of the protein. We suggest that tamoxifen influence on PR expression in the VMNvl critically depends on the presence or absence of estradiol.

Language: English

Type (Professor's evaluation): Scientific

No. of pages: 10