Degree Name
MS (Master of Science)
Program
Biology
Date of Award
8-2013
Committee Chair or Co-Chairs
Effiong Otukonyong
Committee Members
Sharon Campbell, Edward Onyango, Burl Williams,
Abstract
One of the numerous complications of obesity is infertility. Leptin has been shown to reverse infertility; however, exact mechanism is poorly understood. Recent evidence indicates Ecadherin/ β-catenin complex, which is a structural constituent of adherens junction, is expressed in the rat ovary during folliculogenesis. We hypothesized that systemic leptin modulates the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in dietary-induced obese infertile rats to reverse infertility. Female Sprague-Dawley rats were fed either regular chow diet (RCD) (n=6) or high fat diet (HFD) (n=14). Oestrus cycles were monitored daily until their cycles became irregular. 100 ug/ml of leptin was given intraperitoneally to HFD-fed rats (n=5) with irregular cycles. The control rats HFD (n=9) and RCD received saline. Leptin treatment restored regular estrous cycle and increased the expression of E-cadherin and β-catenin in all the 5 rats (HFD+Leptin). This could represent the mechanism by which leptin reverses infertility in obese infertile rats.
Document Type
Thesis - unrestricted
Recommended Citation
Sokan, Olufunke A., "Systemic Leptin Modulates the Expression of E-cadherin, β-catenin in the Ovary of Dietary-Induced Obese Infertile Rats" (2013). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 1174. https://dc.etsu.edu/etd/1174
Copyright
Copyright by the authors.
Included in
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