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Withania somnifera inhibits photorefractoriness which triggers neuronal apoptosis in both pre-optic and paraventricular hypothalamic area of Coturnix coturnix japonica: involvement of oxidative stress induced p53 dependent Caspase-3 mediated low immunoreactivity of estrogen receptor alpha

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Abstract

Light has a very important function in the regulation of the normal physiology including the neuroendocrine system, biological rhythms, cognitive behavior, etc. The variation in photoperiod acts as a stressor due to imbalance in endogenous hormones. Estrogen and its receptors ER alpha and beta play a vital role in the control of stress response in birds. The study investigates the estrogenic effects of a well-known medicinal plant Withania somnifera (WS), mediated by estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) in the hypothalamic pre-optic area (POA) and paraventricular nuclei (PVN). Further the study elucidates its anti-oxidants and anti-apoptotic activities in the brain of Japanese quail. To validate this hypothesis, mature male quails were exposed to long day length for 3 months and then transferred to intermediate day length to become photorefractory (PR) while controls were still continued under long daylength. Supplementation of WS root extract in PR quail increases plasma estrogen and lowers corticosterone. Further, in PR quail the variation in light downregulates immunoreactivity of ERα, oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activities i.e. superoxide dismutase and catalase in the brain. Neuronal apoptosis was observed in the POA and PVN of PR quail as indicated by the abundant expression of Caspase-3 and p53 which reduces after the administration of WS root extract. The neuronal population also found to decrease in PR although it increased in WS administered quails. Further, the study concluded that change in photoperiod from 3 months exposure of 16L: 8D to 13.5L: 10.5D directly activates neuronal apoptosis via expression of Caspase3 and p53 expression in the brain and increases neuronal and gonadal oxidative stress while WS root extract reverses them via enhanced estrogen and its receptor ERα expression in the hypothalamic pre-optic and PVN area of Japanese quail.

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Data availability

All the data supporting the findings of this study are available within the paper.

Abbreviations

POA:

Pre-optic area

PVN:

Paraventricular nuclei

ir-ERα:

Immunoreactivity of estrogen receptor alpha

ir-Caspase-3:

Immunoreactivity of Caspase-3

ir-p53:

Immunoreactivity of p53

WS:

Withania somnifera

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Acknowledgements

The authors wish to thank Sophisticated Instrumental Center Facility, Dr. Harisingh Gour Central University, Sagar, MP (India) for providing confocal microscopy and Department of Zoology, School of Biological Sciences, Dr. Harisingh Gour Central University, Sagar for infrastructure facility.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Avian Reproductive and Endocrinology Laboratory, Department of Zoology, School of Biological Sciences, Dr. Harisingh Gour Central University, Sagar, MP, 470003, India

    Kalpana Baghel

  2. Govt. P.G. College, Bina, Sagar, MP, 470003, India

    Mukesh Kumar Niranjan

  3. Department of Zoology, University of Allahabad, Prayagraj, UP, 211002, India

    Rashmi Srivastava

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  1. Kalpana Baghel
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  2. Mukesh Kumar Niranjan
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  3. Rashmi Srivastava
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Contributions

KB: Methodology, Formal analysis, Investigation, Writing—original draft. MKN: Methodology. RS: Conceptualization, Writing—review and editing, Visualization, Supervision.

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Correspondence to Rashmi Srivastava.

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Baghel, K., Niranjan, M.K. & Srivastava, R. Withania somnifera inhibits photorefractoriness which triggers neuronal apoptosis in both pre-optic and paraventricular hypothalamic area of Coturnix coturnix japonica: involvement of oxidative stress induced p53 dependent Caspase-3 mediated low immunoreactivity of estrogen receptor alpha. Photochem Photobiol Sci 22, 2205–2218 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s43630-023-00442-0

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