Study On Steroid Sex Hormones Components And Biological Origin In Rana Oil

Rana dybowskii has high economic value in North-east provinces in China. During pre-hibernation period, the oviducts of Rana dyboeskii get hypertrophy and become rana oil, which are famous traditional Chinese medicine. As a functional food product, rana oil has high sex steroid hormones concentration. Studies showed that these hormones could help to regulate the endocrinology system in human body, especially for women after menopause, however the mechanism was not clear. In this study, we examine the hormone concentration of estrogen, testosterone and progesterone in fresh rana oil tissue; using immunohistochemistry, western blotting and molecular experiments to detect the expression of estrogen receptors, androgen receptor, progesterone receptor and P450 aromatase.Histology results showed that the weight and relative circumference value were higher in pre-hibernation period compare to reproduction period. In the pre-hibernation, hypertrophy ligands could be found in the stromal tissues, which was also dramatically different with reproduction period. Estradiol showed higher concentration in pre-hibernation while testosterone has higher level in reproduction period, indicated different regulating function of these hormones. Progesterone has relatively lower concentration in both periods. ERa, AR, PR were detected in both periods, however there was no ERβ showed. Higher expression of ERa in pre-hibernation while higher in reproduction for AR and PR, indicating different physiological roles of the hormones. Western blotting and PCR results further confirm those results. P450arom showed higher expression also in pre-hibernation, indicating rana oil has its own pathway of synthesis estrogens.In conclusion, oviduct was the target organ co-regulating by estrogen, androgen and progesterone, these hormones have self and para endocrinology pathways, regulating the formation of rana oil via hormones receptors. As a functional food product, rana oil has abundant sex steriold hormones, also the enzyme that can synthesis hormones, which might would function in regulating endocrinology in human.