Abstract
We examined the effects of metabolic hormones leptin and ghrelin, and the oil-related environmental contaminants toluene and xylene on the release of ovarian hormones by gravid and non-gravid cats, as well as the functional interrelationships between metabolic hormones and contaminants. Ovarian fragments of non-gravid cats were cultured with and without leptin and toluene. Next, ovarian fragments of either non-gravid or gravid animals were cultured with and without ghrelin and xylene. Oxytocin (OT) and prostaglandin F (PGF) release was measured using ELISA.
We confirm ovarian OT and PGF production by feline ovary, demonstrate the involvement of leptin and ghrelin in controlling OT and PGF release, show the direct influence of toluene and xylene on feline ovarian secretory activity, indicate the ability of leptin and ghrelin to mimic and promote the main contaminant effects, demonstrate that oil-related contaminants can prevent and even invert the effects of leptin and ghrelin on the ovary, and suggest the gravidity-associated changes in ability of ghrelin to promote xylene action on PGF (but not to OT), but not in basic ovarian OT and PGF release and their response to ghrelin or xylene.