Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39869591›Full record

ArticlePloS one2025

Melatonin influence on miRNA expression in sperm, hypothalamus, pre-frontal cortex and cerebellum of Wistar rats.

Mísia Helena da Silva Ferro, Ingrid Morante, Fernanda Akane Nishino, Camila Estevam, Fernanda Gaspar do Amaral, José Cipolla-Neto, Taiza Stumpp

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PloS one, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Visible light, oxidative stress, and reproduction: The protective role of melatonin.International journal of gynaecology and obstetrics: the official organ of the International Federation of Gynaecology and Obstetrics · 2026
    Review
  2. Article
  3. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Mísia Helena da Silva FerroLaboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Morphology and Genetics-Paulista Medicine School, Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Ingrid MoranteLaboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Morphology and Genetics-Paulista Medicine School, Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.ORCID 0009-0002-7448-9411
Fernanda Akane NishinoDepartment of Physiology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Camila EstevamLaboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Morphology and Genetics-Paulista Medicine School, Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.
Fernanda Gaspar do AmaralDepartment of Physiology, Federal University of São Paulo (UNIFESP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.
José Cipolla-NetoDepartment of Physiology and Biophysics, Neurobiology Lab, Institute of Biomedical Sciences, University of São Paulo (USP), São Paulo, SP, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0003-3748-3731
Taiza StumppLaboratory of Developmental Biology, Department of Morphology and Genetics-Paulista Medicine School, Federal University of Sao Paulo (UNIFESP), Sao Paulo, SP, Brazil.ORCID 0000-0002-6966-7490

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Melatonin is a pineal hormone synthesized exclusively at night, in several organisms. Its action on sperm is of particular interest, since they transfer genetic and epigenetic information to the offspring, including microRNAs, configuring a mechanism of paternal epigenetic inheritance. MicroRNAs are known to participate in a wide variety of mechanisms in basically all cells and tissues, including the brain and the sperm cells, which are known, respectively, to present 70% of all identified microRNAs and to transfer these molecules to the embryo. MicroRNAs from sperm have been associated with modulation of embryonic development and inheritance of psychiatric symptoms, including autism. Given that microRNAs and melatonin are ubiquitous molecules with important roles in the organism, the aim of this study was to investigate the expression of specific microRNAs in sperm, brain and cerebellum of pinealectomized rats. For this study, Wistar rats had their pineal gland removed at 60 post-partum. Part of these rats received exogenous melatonin until the day of the euthanasia. The control group did not receive any treatment or manipulation. The sperm, hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex and cerebellum were collected for analysis of microRNA expression by RT-qPCR. The results suggest that melatonin absence caused by pinealectomy increases the expression of the target microRNAs in the sperm. Although the data suggest an alteration (increase or decrease depending on the region and microRNA) of expression levels of some microRNAs in the brain and cerebellum of pinealectomized rats, the differences were not statistically significant. This seems to be a consequence of the intragroup variation. Melatonin administration restored the levels of the target microRNAs in the sperm. Additional studies are needed to understand the impact of the alterations of microRNA expression to the pinealectomized rats as well as to their descendants.

Indexed as

CerebellumHypothalamusMelatoninMicroRNAsPrefrontal CortexSpermatozoaAnimalsGene Expression RegulationMalePinealectomyPineal GlandRatsRats, WistarMelatoninMicroRNAs

Identifiers

PMID39869591
PMCPMC11771911

What Socratic holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.