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. 2014 Mar;7(1):41-6.
doi: 10.2478/intox-2014-0007. Epub 2014 Jul 16.

Melatonin protects uterus and oviduct exposed to nicotine in mice

Seyedeh Nazanin Seyed Saadat  1 , Fahimeh Mohammadghasemi  2 , Sina Khajeh Jahromi  1 , Mohammad Amin Homafar  1 , Mostafa Haghiri  3
Affiliations

Melatonin protects uterus and oviduct exposed to nicotine in mice

Seyedeh Nazanin Seyed Saadat et al. Interdiscip Toxicol. 2014 Mar.

Abstract

Smoking is associated with higher infertility risk. The aim of this study was to evaluate protective effects of melatonin on the uterus and oviduct in mice exposed to nicotine. Adult female mice (n=32) were divided into four groups. Group A: control animals received normal saline, Group B: injected with nicotine 40µg/kg, Group C: injected with melatonin 10 µg, Group D: injected with nicotine 40µg/kg and melatonin 10 µg. All animals were treated over 15 days intraperitoneally. On the 16th day, animals in the estrus phase were dissected and their uterus and oviducts were removed. Immunohistochemistry was recruited for studying apoptosis and for detection of estrogen receptor (ER) alpha in luminal epithelium of the uterus and oviduct. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used for serum estradiol level determination. Nicotine in group B decreased estradiol level and ERalpha numbers both in the uterus and oviduct (p<0.05). Co-administration of melatonin-nicotine in Group D ameliorated the histology of the uterus and oviduct, increased ERalpha numbers and reduced apoptosis in the uterus and oviduct compared with the nicotine Group B (p<0.05). This study indicates that nicotine impairs the histology of the uterus and oviduct and co-administration of melatonin-nicotine ameliorates these findings, partly through alteration in ERalpha numbers and reduction of apoptosis.

Keywords: estrogen receptor; melatonin; nicotine; oviduct; uterus.

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Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Photomicrograph of mouse endometrium. A: control, B: nicotine, C: melatonin and D: melatonin+nicotine treated mice. EP: epithelium, es: estroma, Eg: endometrial glands. H&E. Magnification 400×.
Figure 2
Figure 2
Photomicrograph of mouse oviduct. A: control, B: nicotine, C: melatonin and D: melatonin+nicotine treated mice. Mf: mucosal folds. H&E. Magnification 400×.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Photomicrograph of mouse endometrium. A: control, B: nicotine, C: melatonin and D: melatonin+nicotine treated mice. Brown cells show ER alpha positive cells. Arrows show endometrial glands. Note the reduced numbers of ER alpha positive cells and endometrial glands in nicotine (B) compared with control (A). In D, melatonin ameliorated the endometrium and increased ERα. EP: epithelium, es: estroma, Eg: endometrial glands. Magnification 400×.
Figure 4
Figure 4
Photomicrograph of mouse ampulla (oviduct). A: control, B: nicotine treated mouse, C: melatonin treated mouse and D: melatonin+nicotine treated mouse. Brown cells show ER alpha positive cells. Note the reduced numbers of ER alpha positive cells and mucosal folds (MF) in nicotine (B) compared with control (A). In D, melatonin ameliorated the mucosal folds of the oviduct and increased ER alpha. ER alpha Immunostaining. Magnification 400×.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Effect of nicotine and melatonin on apoptosis in luminal epithelium (LE) in mouse uterus and oviduct. A: control, B: nicotine, C: melatonin, D: melatonin+nicotine treated groups. Data are expressed as Mean± SD. * shows significant data from controls (A), p<0.05. ** shows significant data from both controls (A) and nicotine alone treated group (B), p<0.05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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