OBJECTIVETo evaluate the effects of Attractin (Atrn) silence on the anti-oxidative and anti-apoptotic abilities of TM4 Sertoli cells and its influence on the expressions of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and caspase6 in the cells.

METHODSWe observed the apoptotic indexes of TM4 Sertoli cells with normal expression (control), partial deletion, and complete deletion of the Atrn gene (psiRNA-TM4, psiAtrn-TM4, and mu-SC). We determined the mRNA and protein expressions of SOD and caspase6 by Q-PCR and Western blot, measured the SOD activity and malondialdehyde (MDA) contentby spectrophotometry, and detected the apoptotic index of the cells by TUNEL.

RESULTSCompared with psiRNA-TM4, after inhibition of the Atrn expression, the Sertoli cells in the psiAtrn-TM4 and mu-SCgroups showed significantly decreased expressions ofSOD mRNA (70.76% and 92.58%) and protein (65.11% and 71.0%) (both P < 0.05). The levels of caspase 6 mRNA and protein were increased 5.28 and 3.40 times in the psiAtrn-TM4 and 2.97 and 2.50 times in the mu-SCgroup as compared with the normal control (both P < 0.05). Atrn deletion markedly increased the apoptotic indexes of the cells in the psiAtrn-TM4 and mu-SC groups by 16.22% and 22.03% (P < 0.05) and reduced the activity of SOD by 23.00% and 39.37% (P < 0.05); it also elevated the level of MDA by 155.22% (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe Atrn gene exerts influence on the function of Sertoli cells in multiple ways, in which antioxidative stress and apoptosis regulation may play an important role.