Germline stem cell lineage tracing by free-floating immunofluorescent assay of mouse seminiferous tubule

Whole-mount immunohistochemistry (whole-mount IH) of the seminiferous tubule is widely used to investigate the self-renewal and differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). Examination of the length of spermatogonial cysts is critical for tracing SSCs lineage by using Whole-mount IH. However, it is difficult for antibody molecules to penetrate into the depth of seminiferous epithelium because its thickness and the tight peritubular myoid and basement membrane outside. Here, we developed a free-floating immunofluorescent procedure of mouse seminiferous tubules using regular incubation time and normal antibody concentration. Microscopic results showed that undifferentiated spermatogonia were positively labeled by promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger protein, E-cadherin, and glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family receptor alpha 1, respectively. Spermatogonial cysts in varied length were revealed clearly and spermatogonia subpopulations including A(single) (A(s)), A(paired) (A(pr)), and A(aligned) (A(al)) were distinguished in lower background images. This method provides us an alternate simple way to trace the lineage of individual SSCs and show their three-dimensional locations and distributions within their niches anatomically in next step.     

Gestational Exposure to Bisphenol A Affects Testicular Morphology,Germ Cell Associations,and Functions of Spermatogonial Stem Cells in Male Offspring

Exposure to bisphenol A (BPA) in the gestational period damages the reproductive health of offspring; detailed evidence regarding BPA-induced damage in testicular germ cells of offspring is still limited. In this study, pregnant mice (F0) were gavaged with three BPA doses (50 μg, 5 mg, and 50 mg/kg body weight (bw)/day; tolerable daily intake (TDI), no-observed-adverse-effect-level (NOAEL), and lowest-observed-adverse-effect level (LOAEL), respectively) on embryonic days 7 to 14, followed by investigation of the transgenerational effects of such exposure in male offspring. We observed that the NOAEL- and LOAEL-exposed F1 offspring had abnormalities in anogenital distance, nipple retention, and pubertal onset (days), together with differences in seminiferous epithelial stages and testis morphology. These effects were eradicated in the next F2 and F3 generations. Moreover, there was an alteration in the ratio of germ cell population and the apoptosis rate in germ cells increased in F1 offspring at the LOAEL dose. However, the total number of spermatogonia remained unchanged. Finally, a reduction in the stemness properties of spermatogonial stem cells in F1 offspring was observed upon LOAEL exposure. Therefore, we provide evidence of BPA-induced disruption of physiology and functions in male germ cells during the gestational period. This may lead to several reproductive health issues and infertility in offspring.     

Cytopathological and ultrastructural changes in the male reproductive organs of freshwater crab Paratelphusa jacquemontii (Rathbun) exposed to nurocombi

Accumulation of pollutants in the aquatic system has a high impact on the reproductive physiology of crustaceans. The objective of the present study was to assess the possible histopathological effects of combined chlorpyrifos and cypermethrin (nurocombi) exposure on reproductive tissue in male freshwater crab Paratelphusa jacquemontii using light and electron microscopy. The testis of experimental crabs showed disorganization of testicular lobules, increased inters cellular space, necrosis, and cellular damage in both germinal cells and Sertoli cells. The treated vas deferens exhibited epithelial degeneration, misshaped spermatophores, decline in the number of spermatophores, and dehiscence of spermatophore wall. These clinical manifestations expressed in crabs following the exposure of nurocombi significantly reduce the testicular activity and substantially inhibits the seminal secretions, which ultimately lead to impairment of reproduction.     

Gui-A-Gra Attenuates Testicular Dysfunction in Varicocele-Induced Rats via Oxidative Stress,ER Stress and Mitochondrial Apoptosis Pathway

Gui-A-Gra, a commercial insect powder from Gryllus bimaculatus, is registered as an edible insect by the Korean food and drug administration. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Gui-A-Gra on testicular damage induced by experimental left varicocele in male Sprague Dawley rats. A total of 72 rats were randomly divided into the following six groups (12 rats in each group): a normal control group (CTR), a group administrated with Gui-A-Gra 1.63 gm/kg (G1.63), a group administrated with Gui-A-Gra 6.5 gm/kg (G6.5), a varicocele (VC)-induced control group (VC), a VC-induced group administrated with Gui-A-Gra 1.63 gm/kg (VC + G1.63), and a VC-induced group administrated with Gui-A-Gra 6.5 gm/kg (VC + G6.5). Rats were administrated 1.63 or 6.5 gm/kg Gui-A-Gra once daily for 42 days. Indicators of sperm parameters, histopathology, reproductive hormones, oxidative stress, endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, inflammation, and mitochondrial apoptosis were analyzed to evaluate effects of Gui-A-Gra on VC-induced testicular dysfunction. Gui-A-Gra administration to VC-induced rats significantly (p < 0.05) increased sperm count and sperm motility, Johnsen score, spermatogenic cell density, serum testosterone, testicular superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), catalase, GPx4, and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) level. Moreover, pretreatment with Gui-A-Gra significantly (p < 0.05) decreased terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL) positive cells/tubules, serum luteinizing hormone (LH), serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), testicular tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), malondialdehyde (MDA), reactive oxygen species (ROS)/reactive nitrogen species (RNS) level, glucose-regulated protein-78 (Grp-78), phosphorylated c-Jun-N-terminal kinase (p-JNK), phosphorylated inositol-requiring transmembrane kinase/endoribonuclease 1α (p-IRE1α), cleaved caspase-3, and BCL2 associated X protein: B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bax: Bcl2) ratio in VC rats. These results suggest that protective effects of Gui-A-Gra on VC-induced testicular injury might be due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and androgenic activities that might be mediated via crosstalk of oxidative stress, ER stress, and mitochondrial apoptosis pathway.     

Effects of Subchronic Samarium Exposure on Testicle Tissue of Mice

Effects of Subchronic Samarium Exposure on Testicle Tissue of Mice     

Cellular architecture of the testis of Egyptian wild boar (Sus scrofa) in young and adult age

Testicular parenchyma is split into lobules, each lobule contains convoluted seminiferous tubules surrounded by myoid cells and the interstitial tissue contains groups of Leydig cells. The seminiferous tubules are lined by two groups of cells the first one is the spermatogenic cells and the second one is Sertoli cells.     

Preliminary Investigation on the Involvement of Cytoskeleton-Related Proteins,DAAM1 and PREP,in Human Testicular Disorders

Herein, for the first time, the potential relationships between the cytoskeleton-associated proteins DAAM1 and PREP with different testicular disorders, such as classic seminoma (CS), Leydig cell tumor (LCT), and Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SOS), were evaluated. Six CS, two LCT, and two SOS tissue samples were obtained during inguinal exploration in patients with a suspect testis tumor based on clinical examination and ultrasonography. DAAM1 and PREP protein levels and immunofluorescent localization were analyzed. An increased DAAM1 protein level in CS and SOS as compared to non-pathological (NP) tissue was observed, while LCT showed no significant differences. Conversely, PREP protein level increased in LCT, while it decreased in CS and SOS compared to NP tissue. These results were strongly supported by the immunofluorescence staining, revealing an altered localization and signal intensity of DAAM1 and PREP in the analyzed samples, highlighting a perturbed cytoarchitecture. Interestingly, in LCT spermatogonia, a specific DAAM1 nuclear localization was found, probably due to an enhanced testosterone production, as confirmed by the increased protein levels of steroidogenic enzymes. Finally, although further studies are needed to verify the involvement of other formins and microtubule-associated proteins, this report raised the opportunity to indicate DAAM1 and PREP as new potential markers, supporting the cytoskeleton dynamics changes occurring during normal and/or pathological cell differentiation.     

Differential Effects of Low and High Radiation Dose Rates on Mouse Spermatogenesis

The adverse effects of radiation are proportional to the total dose and dose rate. We aimed to investigate the effects of radiation dose rate on different organs in mice. The mice were subjected to low dose rate (LDR, ~3.4 mGy/h) and high dose rate (HDR, ~51 Gy/h) radiation. LDR radiation caused severe tissue toxicity, as observed in the histological analysis of testis. It adversely influenced sperm production, including sperm count and motility, and induced greater sperm abnormalities. The expression of markers of early stage spermatogonial stem cells, such as Plzf, c-Kit, and Oct4, decreased significantly after LDR irradiation, compared to that following exposure of HDR radiation, in qPCR analysis. The compositional ratios of all stages of spermatogonia and meiotic cells, except round spermatid, were considerably reduced by LDR in FACS analysis. Therefore, LDR radiation caused more adverse testicular damage than that by HDR radiation, contrary to the response observed in other organs. Therefore, the dose rate of radiation may have differential effects, depending on the organ; it is necessary to evaluate the effect of radiation in terms of radiation dose, dose rate, organ type, and other conditions.     

虎杖苷对镉致小鼠睾丸氧化应激损伤的保护作用

目的：探讨虎杖苷对镉致小鼠睾丸氧化应激损伤的保护作用。方法：40 只小鼠随机分成5 组：正常对照组,镉组,25、50、100 mg/（kg•d）虎杖苷保护组,于实验第1天,镉组及虎杖苷保护组小鼠一次性腹腔注射2 mg/kg氯化镉（氯化镉质量浓度为0.2 mg/mL）,制造小鼠睾丸氧化应激损伤,虎杖苷保护组小鼠同时经口灌胃给予25、50、100 mg/（kg•d）虎杖苷,连续灌胃1 周后处死小鼠,统计小鼠睾丸脏器系数;苏木精-伊红（hematoxylin-eosin,HE）染色,观察小鼠睾丸组织病理学变化;检测虎杖苷对小鼠睾丸超氧化物歧化酶（superoxide dismutase,SOD）、谷胱甘肽过氧化物酶（glutathione peroxidase,GSH-Px）活性,以及丙二醛（malonaldehyde,MDA）和8-羟基脱氧鸟苷（8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine,8-OHdG）含量的影响。结果：与正常对照组比较,镉组小鼠睾丸脏器系数显著降低,睾丸组织细胞变性、坏死,生精细胞明显减少,而虎杖苷保护组小鼠睾丸组织细胞损伤均明显减轻;与正常对照组比较,镉组小鼠睾丸组织SOD及GSH-Px活性均极显著降低,MDA及8-OHdG含量均极显著升高（P＜0.01）。与镉组比较,50、100 mg/（kg•d）虎杖苷保护组小鼠的睾丸脏器系数显著或极显著升高（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）,睾丸组织的SOD活性明显升高,差异达到显著或极显著水平（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）;25、50、100 mg/（kg•d）虎杖苷保护组小鼠睾丸组织的GSH-Px活性明显升高,差异达到显著或极显著水平（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）,而MDA及8-OHdG含量均明显降低,差异同样达到显著或极显著水平（P＜0.05或P＜0.01）。结论：虎杖苷能减轻镉致小鼠睾丸组织细胞脂质过氧化损伤,抑制氧化应激对睾丸细胞DNA的损伤。     

猪睾丸蛋白酶解抗氧化肽工艺优化及抗氧化研究

采用中性蛋白酶酶解猪睾丸蛋白制备抗氧化肽。以还原力为指标,通过正交实验设计,确定了酶解猪睾丸蛋白制备抗氧化肽的工艺条件:底物质量浓度8%,起始pH7.0,酶用量360U/g(新鲜猪睾丸),温度37℃,时间90min,相应指标还原力0.997。通过体外抗氧化活性的研究,发现猪睾丸抗氧化肽对.OH、H2O2、DPPH.和卵黄脂蛋白的IC50分别为0.47、0.56、0.86、0.42g/L。