OBJECTIVESTo study the expression and the significance of telomerase gene hTERT in testes of infertile male.

METHODSBy using in situ hybridization(ISH) techniques, the expression of telomerase gene hTERT mRNA in testes of 47 infertile male and 10 normal testicular tissues were observed.

RESULTSIn male testes, there was a positive correlation between the expression of hTERT and the quantity and density of germ cells(spermatogonia, spermatocyte, spermatid). The expression of hTERT in some germinal cell of maturation arrest patients were not significantly different with those of normal.

CONCLUSIONSOur results suggest that the deficiency of telomerase might be a factor for germinal cell maturation arrest and there might be some other etiological factors in these patients. Our study provides experimental groundwork for the gene therapy of male infertility.

Humans ; Infertility, Male ; enzymology ; Male ; Spermatids ; Spermatocytes ; Spermatogenesis ; Spermatogonia ; Telomerase ; deficiency ; genetics ; metabolism ; Testis ; enzymology ; physiology

Adult ; Chromatids/genetics* ; Chromosome Aberrations ; Humans ; Infertility, Male/genetics* ; Male ; Meiosis ; Metaphase/genetics* ; Spermatocytes/physiology*

Humans ; Male ; Metaphase/physiology* ; Sex Chromosomes/ultrastructure* ; Spermatocytes/ultrastructure* ; Spermatogenesis ; Testis/ultrastructure*

There has been no study aimed at directly determiningof the periods of Sertoli cell proliferation in birds evendomestic fowl. The aims of this study were to observe thecessation of post-hatching mitotic proliferation of Sertolicells in domestic fowl, and to determine the volumedensity of Sertoli and germ cells during this period. Atotal of 50 Leghorn chicks were used in this study. Thetestes sections of the animals were immunostained withBrdU to observe the proliferation of cells from one to 10weeks of age. The volume density of the Sertoli and germcells were determined using the standard point countingmethod. The volume density of the germ cell nuclei wasinitially less than that of the Sertoli cells but the volumedensity converged by week 6, and remained relativelyconstant until the commencement of meiosis. Clearlabeling of Sertoli and germ cells was observed from week1 to week 7. The only those cells still labeled after 8 weekswere germ cells, indicating that Sertoli cell proliferationhad ceased. Therefore, it is recommended that anyresearch into the testes of domestic fowl should considerthe cessation of Sertoli cell proliferation by approximately8 weeks.
Animals ; Bromodeoxyuridine/metabolism ; Cell Differentiation/physiology ; Cell Growth Processes/physiology ; Chickens/*physiology ; Histocytochemistry/veterinary ; Male ; Mitosis/physiology ; Sertoli Cells/*cytology/metabolism ; Spermatocytes/cytology ; Testis/*cytology/metabolism

OBJECTIVETo study the influence of lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammation on the testicular histology and reproductive endocrine function in male rats and investigate the possible mechanism of inflammation affecting male fertility.

METHODSThirty-six male SD rats were randomly divided into a control group (A) and three LPS intervention groups (B, C, and D) to receive saline and LPS (5 mg/kg i. p, once), respectively. The animals in groups B, C, and D were killed by anesthesia at 12, 24, and 72 hours after treatment. Histopathological changes in the left testis of the rats were observed by HE staining and the levels of the reproductive hormones T, FSH, and LH in the serum were determined by ELISA.

RESULTSCompared with group B, group A showed clear structure of seminiferous tubules, orderly arrangement of spermatogenic cells, a slightly decreased number of sperm in some seminiferous tubular lumens, and shed spermatogenic cells in the rat testis tissue; group C exhibited thinner seminiferous epithelia, disordered structure of seminiferous tubules, irregular arrangement of spermatogenic cells, decreased number of mature sperm and obvious shedding of spermatogenic cells in seminiferous tubular lumens; group D manifested similar findings to those of group C, with even more shed spermatogenic cells that blocked the tubular lumens. The levels of serum T, LH, and FSH were (0.490 +/- 0.028) ng/ml, (6.290 +/- 0.515) ng/L, and (1.837 +/- 0.127) IU/L in group A, (0.460 +/- 0.024) ng/ml, (5.881 +/- 0.124) ng/L, and (1.707 +/- 0.098) IU/L in group B, (0.417 +/- 0.021) ng/ml, (5.123 +/- 0.271) ng/L, and (1.620 +/- 0.115) IU/L in group C, and (0.378 +/- 0.021) ng/ml, (4.504 +/- 0.279) ng/L and (1.562 +/- 0.216) IU/L in group D, all decreased in group B as compared with A (P > 0.05). The decreases of T and LH were extremely significant (P < 0.01) and that of FSH was significant in groups C and D (P < 0.05) in comparison with A.

CONCLUSIONLPS-induced inflammation affects the testicular tissue and reproductive endocrine function of male rats, resulting in decreased levels of serum T, LH, and FSH.

Animals ; Endocrine System ; drug effects ; physiology ; Fertility ; drug effects ; physiology ; Follicle Stimulating Hormone ; blood ; Humans ; Lipopolysaccharides ; toxicity ; Luteinizing Hormone ; blood ; Male ; Random Allocation ; Rats ; Reproduction ; Seminiferous Tubules ; drug effects ; pathology ; Spermatocytes ; drug effects ; Testis ; drug effects ; pathology ; Testosterone ; blood

AIMTo assess the spatial and temporal expression of germ cell nuclear factor (GCNF) in male mouse germ cells during postnatal development and in sperm before and after capacitation.

METHODSThe indirect immunofluorescence method with anti-GCNF antiserum was used to investigate the GCNF expression in mice at day 8, 10, 14, 17, 20, 28, 35, 70, and 420 after birth and in sperm before and after capacitation.

RESULTSWith the proceeding of spermatogenesis, GCNF was first detected in the nuclei of spermatogonia and a few early stage primary spermatocytes at day 8, which was increased gradually at day 10 to 14 inclusive. From day 17 to day 20, the GCNF was concentrated in round spermatids, while both spermatogonia and early stage primary spermatocytes became GCNF negative. From day 28 until day 420, strong GCNF expression was shown in round spermatids and pachytene spermatocytes, while spermatogonia, early primary spermatocytes and elongating spermatids were all GCNF negative. In addition, it was also found that GCNF was localized on the acrosomal cap region of spermatozoa and there was a big change in GCNF expression during capacitation, from 98 % GCNF positive before capacitation to about 20 % positive following capacitation. The localization of GCNF in caput and cauda spermatozoa was similar.

CONCLUSIONGCNF may play important roles in spermatogenesis, capacitation and fertilization.

Aging ; physiology ; Animals ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; Epididymis ; physiology ; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; physiology ; Male ; Mice ; Mice, Inbred BALB C ; Nuclear Receptor Subfamily 6, Group A, Member 1 ; Receptors, Cytoplasmic and Nuclear ; Receptors, Retinoic Acid ; genetics ; Sperm Capacitation ; Spermatids ; physiology ; Spermatocytes ; physiology ; Spermatogenesis ; Spermatozoa ; physiology

RNA binding proteins (RBPs) regulate the function of cells by interacting with nascent transcripts and therefore are receiving increasing attention from researchers for their roles in tissue development and homeostasis. The polypyrimidine tract binding (PTB) protein family of RBPs are important posttranscriptional regulators of gene expression. Further investigations on the post-transcriptional regulation mechanisms and isoforms of PTB proteins in the spermatogenesis show that PTB protein 1 (Ptbp1) is a predominant isoform in mitotic cells (spermatogonia), while Ptbp2 predominates in meiotic spermatocytes and postmeiotic spermatids and binds to the specific 3' untranslated region (3' UTR) of the phosphoglycerate kinase 2 (Pgk-2) mRNA, which helps to stabilize Pgk-2 mRNA in male mouse germ cells. In case of Ptbp2 inactivation in the testis, the differentiation of germ cells arrests in the stage of round spermatids, with proliferation of multinucleated cells in the seminiferous tubule, increased apoptosis of spermatocytes, atrophy of seminiferous tubules, and lack of elongating spermatids, which consequently affects male fertility. This article presents an overview on the structure of the PTB protein and its role in regulating mammalian spermatogenesis.
Animals ; Atrophy ; Gene Expression Regulation ; physiology ; Heterogeneous-Nuclear Ribonucleoproteins ; metabolism ; physiology ; Homeostasis ; Isoenzymes ; metabolism ; Male ; Mice ; Nerve Tissue Proteins ; metabolism ; physiology ; Phosphoglycerate Kinase ; metabolism ; Polypyrimidine Tract-Binding Protein ; metabolism ; physiology ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; RNA-Binding Proteins ; Seminiferous Tubules ; pathology ; Spermatids ; metabolism ; Spermatocytes ; metabolism ; Spermatogenesis ; physiology ; Spermatogonia ; metabolism ; Testis ; metabolism

AIMAlthough epidermal growth factor receptors are expressed in the testes, whether they signal through epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8 (Eps8) is unknown. Here we evaluated the expression pattern of Eps8 in the maturing testis.

METHODSThe expression of Eps8 was analysed by Northern blotting, immunocytochemistry and Western blotting in primary Sertoli cell cultures and in testicular tissue of rodents.

RESULTSEps8 is specifically expressed in gonocytes, Leydig and Sertoli cells of the neonatal rats and in Leydig and Sertoli cells of the adult rats and mice. Although gonocytes express Eps8, no signal was found in prepubertal or mature spermatogonia and the expression level of Eps8 in Sertoli cells increases with age. No regulation of Eps8 expression in primary immature rat Sertoli cells by Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) was detected by Western blotting.

CONCLUSIONEps8 seems to be involved in the growth factor-controlled regulation of cell proliferation and differentiation in the seminiferous epithelium. Eps8 is a possible marker for gonocytes and in Sertoli cells it could be involved in crosstalk with other growth factor pathways.

Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing ; Animals ; Base Sequence ; Blotting, Northern ; Cell Line ; DNA Primers ; Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental ; Immunohistochemistry ; Leydig Cells ; cytology ; physiology ; Male ; Proteins ; genetics ; RNA ; genetics ; isolation & purification ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Sertoli Cells ; physiology ; Sexual Maturation ; Spermatocytes ; cytology ; physiology ; Testis ; growth & development