Quercetin alters uterine fluid volume and aquaporin (AQP) subunits (AQP-1, 2, 5 & 7) expression in the uterus in the presence of sex-steroids in rats

Shahzad H 1 , Giribabu N 1 , Karim K 1 , Muniandy S 2 , Kassim NM 3 , Salleh N 4

Affiliations 

  • 1 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 2 Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, MAHSA University, Jalan Elmu, Off Jalan University, 59100, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 3 Department of Anatomy, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
  • 4 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, 50603 Lembah Pantai, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Electronic address: naguib.salleh@gmail.com
Reprod Toxicol, 2017 04;69:276-285.
PMID: 28341573 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2017.03.012

Abstract

Effects of quercetin on uterine fluid volume and aquaporin (AQP) expression in the uterus were investigated. Estradiol (E) or estradiol followed by progesterone (E+P) were given to ovariectomised rats with or without quercetin (10, 50 or 100mg/kg/day) treatment. Uteri were harvested and its inner/outer circumference ratio was determined. AQP-1, 2, 5 and 7 mRNA and protein levels in uterus were quantified by Real-time PCR and Western blotting respectively. Protein distribution was observed by immunohistochemistry. Administration of quercetin in E-treated rats decreased the uterine fluid volume and uterine AQP-2 expression. In E+P-treated rats, administration of 100mg/kg/day quercetin increased uterine fluid volume, AQP-1 and 2 expression but decreased AQP-7 expression in uterus. AQP-1 was distributed in stromal blood vessels while AQP-2, 5 and 7 were distributed in uterine epithelium.

CONCLUSIONS: Quercetin-induced changes in uterine fluid volume and AQP subunits expression in uterus could affect the uterine reproductive functions under different sex-steroid influence.

* Title and MeSH Headings from MEDLINE®/PubMed®, a database of the U.S. National Library of Medicine.

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