Effects of apelin on reproductive functions: relationship with feeding behavior and energy metabolism

• Published in: Archives of physiology and biochemistry Vol. 123; no. 1; pp. 9 - 15
• Main Authors: Tekin, Suat, Erden, Yavuz, Sandal, Suleyman, Etem Onalan, Ebru, Ozyalin, Fatma, Ozen, Hasan, Yilmaz, Bayram
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: England Taylor & Francis 01.02.2017
• Subjects: Adipose Tissue, Brown - drug effects; Adipose Tissue, Brown - metabolism; Adipose Tissue, White - drug effects; Adipose Tissue, White - metabolism; Animals; Apelin; body weight; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Energy Intake - drug effects; Energy Metabolism - drug effects; Feeding Behavior - drug effects; food intake; Gonadotropins, Pituitary - antagonists & inhibitors; Gonadotropins, Pituitary - blood; Hypercholesterolemia - blood; Hypercholesterolemia - chemically induced; Hypercholesterolemia - metabolism; Infertility, Male - blood; Infertility, Male - chemically induced; Infertility, Male - metabolism; Injections, Intraperitoneal; Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins - toxicity; Male; Muscle, Skeletal - drug effects; Muscle, Skeletal - metabolism; Overweight - blood; Overweight - chemically induced; Overweight - metabolism; Random Allocation; Rats, Sprague-Dawley; reproductive functions; Testosterone - antagonists & inhibitors; Testosterone - blood; Toxicity Tests, Chronic; Uncoupling Protein 1 - antagonists & inhibitors; Uncoupling Protein 1 - genetics; Uncoupling Protein 1 - metabolism; Uncoupling Protein 3 - antagonists & inhibitors; Uncoupling Protein 3 - genetics; Uncoupling Protein 3 - metabolism; uncoupling proteins; Weight Gain - drug effects; body weight; uncoupling proteins; reproductive functions; Apelin; food intake
• ISSN: 1381-3455; 1744-4160
• DOI: 10.1080/13813455.2016.1211709

Apelin is an adipose tissue derived peptidergic hormone. In this study, 40 male Sprague-Dawley rats were used (four groups; n = 10). Apelin-13 at three different dosages (1, 5 and 50 μg/kg) was given intraperitoneally while the control group received vehicle the same route for a period of 14 days. In results, apelin-13 caused significant decreases in serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels (p < 0.05). Administration of apelin-13 significantly increased body weights, food intake, serum low-density lipoprotein and total cholesterol levels (p < 0.05), but caused significant decreases in high-density lipoprotein levels (p < 0.05). Serum glucose and triglyceride levels were not significantly altered by apelin-13 administration. Significant decreases in both uncoupling protein (UCP)-1 levels in the white and brown adipose tissues and UCP-3 levels in the biceps muscle (p < 0.05) were noted. The findings of the study suggest that apelin-13 may not only lead to obesity by increasing body weight but also cause infertility by suppressing reproductive hormones.