Photoperiodic modulation of melatonin and melatonin receptor MT1R expression in regulation of testicular steroidogenesis in golden hamster mesocricetusauratus

Abstract

Photoperiodically modulated melatonin has been established to synchronize seasonal reproductive status by acting at multiple levels of the HPG axis. However, the direct effect of melatonin at testicular level along with the involvement of opioidergic system in photoperiodic regulation of testicular steroidogenesis is not known. Therefore, under the first theme, mechanisms underlying seasonal regulation of testicular androgen biosynthesis were investigated. Being a metabolically active tissue containing high levels of poly unsaturated fatty, testis is susceptible to oxidative damage that increases under metabolic stress, with increasing chronological age and glucocorticoid-induced stress conditions. Therefore, under the second theme we aimed at delineating the cyto-protective attributes of melatonin against testicular oxidative damage and germ cell apoptosis under different experimental condition(s).