R Dasgupta1, P Paramita Ray2, A Maity1, D Pradhan1, S Sarkar3, B R Maiti1. 1. University of Calcutta, Department of Zoology, Calcutta, India. 2. Bangabasi College, Department of Zoology, Calcutta, India. 3. City College, Department of Zoology, Calcutta, India.
Abstract
BACKGROUND: People chew betel nut (Areca catechu) for physical work and stress reduction, but it contains arecoline, which has both therapeutic value and untoward effects on endocrine and gonadal functions. OBJECTIVE: Aim of the present study is to investigate its role on adrenal with its target in metabolic stress in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice were deprived of water / food, each for 5 days / treated with arecoline (10 mg / kg body wt daily for 5 days) / arecoline after water or food deprivation, for 5 days each. RESULTS: Water or food-deprivation caused adrenocortical hyperactivity, evident from abundance of enlarged mitochondria and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) with elevation of corticosterone level (C: 68.31 ± 2.30, WD: 159.31 ± 4.10 / FD: 194.12 ± 3.40 μg/ mL). Arecoline treatment alone or in water deprivation (C: 68.31 ± 2.30, AR: 144.50 ± 4.33, AR+WD: 194.42 ± 3.35 μg/ mL) / food deprivation (AR + FD: 180.89 ± 4.51 μg/ mL) stress also stimulated adrenocortical activity as recorded in metabolic stress. In contrast, adrenomedullary activity was not altered following water/ food deprivation. Arecoline treatment alone or in metabolic stress suppressed adrenomedullary activity by showing depletion of chromaffin granules (E/NE?), epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) concentrations. Both the stress decreased blood glucose and liver glycogen levels. Arecoline treatment decreased blood glucose level, with a rise in liver glycogen level, but elevated blood glucose level in water deprivation unlike in starvation. CONCLUSION: Arecoline alone or in metabolic stress involves adrenal and probably other endocrine glands (pancreas, posterior pituitary and rennin-angiotensin system) to maintain homeostasis in metabolic stress in mice.
BACKGROUND: People chew betel nut (Areca catechu) for physical work and stress reduction, but it contains arecoline, which has both therapeutic value and untoward effects on endocrine and gonadal functions. OBJECTIVE: Aim of the present study is to investigate its role on adrenal with its target in metabolic stress in mice. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Mice were deprived of water / food, each for 5 days / treated with arecoline (10 mg / kg body wt daily for 5 days) / arecoline after water or food deprivation, for 5 days each. RESULTS: Water or food-deprivation caused adrenocortical hyperactivity, evident from abundance of enlarged mitochondria and smooth endoplasmic reticulum (SER) with elevation of corticosterone level (C: 68.31 ± 2.30, WD: 159.31 ± 4.10 / FD: 194.12 ± 3.40 μg/ mL). Arecoline treatment alone or in water deprivation (C: 68.31 ± 2.30, AR: 144.50 ± 4.33, AR+WD: 194.42 ± 3.35 μg/ mL) / food deprivation (AR + FD: 180.89 ± 4.51 μg/ mL) stress also stimulated adrenocortical activity as recorded in metabolic stress. In contrast, adrenomedullary activity was not altered following water/ food deprivation. Arecoline treatment alone or in metabolic stress suppressed adrenomedullary activity by showing depletion of chromaffin granules (E/NE?), epinephrine (E) and norepinephrine (NE) concentrations. Both the stress decreased blood glucose and liver glycogen levels. Arecoline treatment decreased blood glucose level, with a rise in liver glycogen level, but elevated blood glucose level in water deprivation unlike in starvation. CONCLUSION: Arecoline alone or in metabolic stress involves adrenal and probably other endocrine glands (pancreas, posterior pituitary and rennin-angiotensin system) to maintain homeostasis in metabolic stress in mice.
Authors: Claudia E Mohn; Javier Fernandez-Solari; Andrea De Laurentiis; Juan Pablo Prestifilippo; Carolina de la Cal; Richard Funk; Stefan R Bornstein; Samuel M McCann; Valeria Rettori Journal: Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A Date: 2005-04-18 Impact factor: 11.205