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Sex Difference in Plasma Deoxyribonuclease Activity in Rats
Ľ Janovičová1, B Gromová, D Drobná
1Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia. petercelec@gmail.com.
Physiological Research
|October 30, 2021
Summary
Female rats exhibit significantly higher plasma deoxyribonuclease (DNase) activity than males, a difference not linked to testosterone. This finding is crucial for understanding extracellular DNA (ecDNA) in disease models.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Immunology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Extracellular DNA (ecDNA) plays a role in inflammatory diseases like sepsis and rheumatoid arthritis.
- Deoxyribonucleases (DNases) degrade ecDNA, and some are secreted extracellularly.
- Understanding DNase activity and its relation to ecDNA is vital for disease research.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate plasma DNase activity and extracellular DNA (ecDNA) levels in adult rats.
- To identify potential sex differences in plasma DNase activity and ecDNA.
- To determine if endogenous testosterone influences these sex differences.
Main Methods:
- Adult Lewis rats (n=28) of both sexes were studied.
- Male rats underwent gonadectomy or sham surgery.
- Plasma DNase activity, ecDNA concentrations (nuclear and mitochondrial), were measured.
- Single radial enzyme diffusion assay and real-time PCR were utilized.
Main Results:
- Female rats showed 60% higher plasma DNase activity compared to males (p=0.03).
- Gonadectomy did not alter DNase activity in male rats.
- No significant sex differences were found in total, nuclear, or mitochondrial ecDNA concentrations.
- No significant correlations between DNase activity and ecDNA levels were observed.
Conclusions:
- A notable sex difference exists in rat plasma DNase activity, with females having higher levels.
- This sex difference appears independent of endogenous testosterone.
- The lack of sex difference in ecDNA suggests a complex interplay or disconnect between DNase and ecDNA.
- These findings necessitate consideration of sex differences in ecDNA-related disease models.
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