Melatonin Administration Accelerates Puberty Onset in Mice by Promoting FSH Synthesis
Chan Yang,
Zaohong Ran,
Guoshi Liu,
Rong Hou,
Changjiu He,
Qinghua Liu,
Yingjun Chen,
Yuliang Liu,
Xiaodong Wang,
Chuqi Ling,
Fang Fang,
Xiang Li
Affiliations
Chan Yang
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, National Center for International Research, Department of Hubei Province Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Zaohong Ran
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, National Center for International Research, Department of Hubei Province Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Guoshi Liu
College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, Beijing 100083, China
Rong Hou
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
Changjiu He
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, National Center for International Research, Department of Hubei Province Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Qinghua Liu
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, National Center for International Research, Department of Hubei Province Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Yingjun Chen
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, National Center for International Research, Department of Hubei Province Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Yuliang Liu
Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding, Chengdu 610081, China
Xiaodong Wang
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, National Center for International Research, Department of Hubei Province Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Chuqi Ling
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, National Center for International Research, Department of Hubei Province Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Fang Fang
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, National Center for International Research, Department of Hubei Province Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Xiang Li
Key Laboratory of Agricultural Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Ministry of Education, National Center for International Research, Department of Hubei Province Engineering Research Center in Buffalo Breeding and Products, College of Animal Science and Technology, Huazhong Agricultural University, Wuhan 430070, China
Although melatonin has been extensively studied in animal reproduction, the mechanism of melatonin in puberty remains elusive. This study was designed to explore the effect of intraperitoneal administration of melatonin on puberty onset in female mice. The injection of melatonin into postnatal days 10 mice at a dose of 15 mg/kg accelerated the puberty onset in mice. Mechanistically, there was no difference in physical growth and serum Leptin levels after melatonin administration. Meanwhile, the serum levels of reproductive hormones involved in hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, such as FSH and estrogen level in serum were increased. The mRNA levels of GnRH and GnRHr were not affected by melatonin, while the expressions of FSHβ in pituitary and Cyp19a1 in ovary were significantly up-regulated. In addition, melatonin still promoted FSH synthesis after ovariectomy. Furthermore, the enhanced activity of ERK1/2 signaling verified that the expression of FSHβ increased in pituitary. We confirmed that melatonin promoted the FSH synthesis in pituitary, thereby increased serum estrogen levels and ultimately accelerated puberty onset. However, these effects of melatonin may be pharmacological due to the high dose. This study would help us to understand the functions of melatonin in pubertal regulation comprehensively.
