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Oberska P, Grabowska M, Marynowska M, Murawski M, Gączarzewicz D, Syczewski A, Michałek K. A Step Forward in Understanding the Expression of Classical Aquaporins in the Male Reproductive Tract: Study Findings in Cattle ( Bos taurus). Int J Mol Sci 2024; 25:7653. [PMID: 39062896 PMCID: PMC11276675 DOI: 10.3390/ijms25147653] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2024] [Revised: 07/08/2024] [Accepted: 07/10/2024] [Indexed: 07/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Aquaporins (AQPs), also known as water channels, appear to be particularly promising in maintaining male reproductive potential. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the presence of classical AQPs in the bovine (Bos taurus) reproductive system and analyze changes in their expression with age using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Of the six classical AQPs, AQP0, AQP1, AQP4, AQP5 and AQP6 were detected, while AQP2 was absent. In the testis, AQP0 was visible in Leydig cells in selected animals, while AQP1 was found in myoid cells surrounding the seminiferous tubules of mature individuals. This characteristic expression patterns of AQP0, limited only to certain bulls, is difficult to explain unequivocally. It is possible that AQP0 expression in cattle is subject to individual variability or changes in response to specific physiological conditions. In the caput and corpus epididymis, AQP0 showed weak expression in epithelial cells of immature animals and stronger expression in basal and principal cells of reproductive bulls. In all animals, AQP1 was present on the apical surface of epithelial cells in the initial segment of the caput epididymis. AQP4, AQP5 and AQP6 were identified in principal and basal cells along the entire epididymis of reproductive bulls. The abundance of AQP4 and AQP6 increased from the caput to the cauda epididymis with the growth and development of the animals. In all males, AQP4, AQP5 and AQP6 were observed in epithelial cells of the vas deferens, and their expression in this section increased with age. In conclusion, the abundance and distribution of the classical AQPs in various cell types and parts of the male reproductive system indicate their crucial role in maintaining water homeostasis, which is essential for normal reproductive function in cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrycja Oberska
- Department of Physiology, Cytobiology and Proteomics, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Klemensa Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland; (P.O.); (M.M.)
| | - Marta Grabowska
- Department of Histology and Developmental Biology, Pomeranian Medical University, Żołnierska 48, 71-210 Szczecin, Poland;
| | - Marta Marynowska
- Department of Physiology, Cytobiology and Proteomics, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Klemensa Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland; (P.O.); (M.M.)
| | - Maciej Murawski
- Department of Nutrition, Animal Biotechnology and Fisheries, University of Agriculture, 24/28 Mickiewicza Avenue, 30-059 Cracow, Poland;
| | - Dariusz Gączarzewicz
- Department of Animal Reproduction, Biotechnology and Environmental Hygiene, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Klemensa Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland;
| | | | - Katarzyna Michałek
- Department of Physiology, Cytobiology and Proteomics, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Klemensa Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland; (P.O.); (M.M.)
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Aquaporins and male (in)fertility: Expression and role throughout the male reproductive tract. Arch Biochem Biophys 2020; 679:108222. [DOI: 10.1016/j.abb.2019.108222] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/19/2019] [Revised: 11/25/2019] [Accepted: 12/04/2019] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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de Mello Santos T, Cavariani MM, Pereira DN, Schimming BC, Chuffa LGDA, Domeniconi RF. Maternal Protein Restriction Modulates Angiogenesis and AQP9 Expression Leading to a Delay in Postnatal Epididymal Development in Rat. Cells 2019; 8:cells8091094. [PMID: 31533210 PMCID: PMC6770568 DOI: 10.3390/cells8091094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2019] [Revised: 07/15/2019] [Accepted: 09/02/2019] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The maternal nutritional status is essential to the health and well-being of the fetus. Maternal protein restriction during the perinatal stage causes sperm alterations in the offspring that are associated with epididymal dysfunctions. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its receptor, VEGFr-2, as well as aquaporins (AQPs) are important regulators of angiogenesis and the epididymal microenvironment and are associated with male fertility. We investigated the effects of maternal protein restriction on epididymal angiogenesis and AQP expression in the early stages of postnatal epididymal development. Pregnant rats were divided into two experimental groups that received either a normoprotein (17% protein) or low-protein diet (6% protein) during gestation and lactation. At postnatal day (PND)7 and PND14, male offspring were euthanized, the epididymides were subjected to morphometric and microvascular density analyses and to VEGF-A, VEGF-r2, AQP1 and AQP9 expression analyses. The maternal low-protein diet decreased AQP9 and VEGFr-2 expression, decreased epididymal microvascularity and altered the morphometric features of the epididymal epithelium; no changes in AQP1 expression were observed at the beginning of postnatal epididymal development. Maternal protein restriction alters microvascularization and affects molecules involved in the epidydimal microenvironment, resulting in morphometric alterations related to a delay in the beginning of epididymis postnatal development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Talita de Mello Santos
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil.
| | - Marilia Martins Cavariani
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil.
| | - Dhrielly Natália Pereira
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil.
| | - Bruno César Schimming
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil.
| | | | - Raquel Fantin Domeniconi
- Department of Anatomy, Institute of Biosciences, São Paulo State University-UNESP, Botucatu 18618-970, SP, Brazil.
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Maternal protein restriction differentially alters the expression of AQP1, AQP9 and VEGFr-2 in the epididymis of rat offspring. Int J Mol Sci 2019; 20:ijms20030469. [PMID: 30678254 PMCID: PMC6387270 DOI: 10.3390/ijms20030469] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/14/2018] [Revised: 01/16/2019] [Accepted: 01/18/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Maternal protein restriction causes sperm alterations in the offspring, most of which are associated with epididymal functions. Because fluid reabsorption/secretion dynamics in the epididymal environment play important roles in the process of sperm maturation and concentration, we investigated the effects of maternal protein restriction on the expression of aquaporins (AQP1 and AQP9), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFa), and its receptor VEGFr-2 in different stages of postnatal epididymal development. Methods: Pregnant rats were divided into groups that received normoprotein (17% protein) and low-protein diets (6% protein) during gestation and lactation. After weaning, male rats only received the standard diet and were euthanized at the predetermined ages of 21, 44 and 120 days. Results: Maternal protein restriction decreased AQP1 and AQP9 expression in the initial segment and caput epididymis compared to the increased expression of these proteins observed in the corpus and cauda at all ages. Although protein restriction reduced the microvasculature density (MVD) on postnatal day (PND) 21 and 44, the MVD was unaltered on PND 120. Conclusions: Maternal protein restriction changed the structure or function of the offspring’s epididymis, specifically by affecting fluid dynamics and vasculogenesis in important stages of epididymis development.
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Abstract
Well-controlled intrauterine development is an essential condition for many aspects of normal adult physiology and health. This process is disrupted by poor maternal nutrition status during pregnancy. Indeed, physiological adaptations occur in the fetus to ensure nutrient supply to the most vital organs at the expense of the others, leading to irreversible consequences in tissue formation and differentiation. Evidence indicates that maternal undernutrition in early life promotes changes in key hormones, such as glucocorticoids, growth hormones, insulin-like growth factors, estrogens and androgens, during fetal development. These alterations can directly or indirectly affect hormone release, hormone receptor expression/distribution, cellular function or tissue organization, and impair tissue growth, differentiation and maturation to exert profound long-term effects on the offspring. Within the male reproductive system, maternal protein malnutrition alters development, structure, and function of the gonads, testes and prostate gland. Consequently, these changes impair the reproductive capacity of the male offspring. Further, permanent alterations in the prostate gland occur at the molecular and cellular level and thereby affect the onset of late life diseases such as prostatitis, hyperplasia and even prostate cancer. This review assembles current thoughts on the concepts and mechanisms behind the developmental origins of health and disease as they relate to protein malnutrition, and highlights the effects of maternal protein malnutrition on rat prostate development and homeostasis. Such insights on developmental trajectories of adult-onset prostate disease may help provide a foundation for future studies in this field.
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Yeste M, Morató R, Rodríguez-Gil JE, Bonet S, Prieto-Martínez N. Aquaporins in the male reproductive tract and sperm: Functional implications and cryobiology. Reprod Domest Anim 2017; 52 Suppl 4:12-27. [DOI: 10.1111/rda.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M Yeste
- Biotechnology of Animal and Human Reproduction (TechnoSperm); Unit of Cell Biology; Department of Biology; Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology; Faculty of Sciences; University of Girona; Girona Spain
| | - R Morató
- Biotechnology of Animal and Human Reproduction (TechnoSperm); Unit of Cell Biology; Department of Biology; Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology; Faculty of Sciences; University of Girona; Girona Spain
- Unit of Animal Reproduction; Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Autonomous University of Barcelona; Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès) Barcelona Spain
| | - JE Rodríguez-Gil
- Unit of Animal Reproduction; Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine; Autonomous University of Barcelona; Bellaterra (Cerdanyola del Vallès) Barcelona Spain
| | - S Bonet
- Biotechnology of Animal and Human Reproduction (TechnoSperm); Unit of Cell Biology; Department of Biology; Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology; Faculty of Sciences; University of Girona; Girona Spain
| | - N Prieto-Martínez
- Biotechnology of Animal and Human Reproduction (TechnoSperm); Unit of Cell Biology; Department of Biology; Institute of Food and Agricultural Technology; Faculty of Sciences; University of Girona; Girona Spain
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Schimming BC, Baumam CAE, Pinheiro PFF, de Matteis R, Domeniconi RF. Aquaporin 9 is expressed in the epididymis of immature and mature pigs. Reprod Domest Anim 2017; 52:617-624. [DOI: 10.1111/rda.12957] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/13/2016] [Accepted: 02/09/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- BC Schimming
- Department of Anatomy; Institute of Biosciences; São Paulo State University (UNESP); Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - CAE Baumam
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science; São Paulo State University (UNESP); Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - PFF Pinheiro
- Department of Anatomy; Institute of Biosciences; São Paulo State University (UNESP); Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - R de Matteis
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science; São Paulo State University (UNESP); Botucatu SP Brazil
| | - RF Domeniconi
- Department of Anatomy; Institute of Biosciences; São Paulo State University (UNESP); Botucatu SP Brazil
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Arrighi S, Bosi G, Accogli G, Desantis S. Seasonal and Ageing-Depending Changes of Aquaporins 1 and 9 Expression in the Genital Tract of Buffalo Bulls (Bubalus bubalis). Reprod Domest Anim 2016; 51:515-23. [DOI: 10.1111/rda.12713] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 05/03/2016] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- S. Arrighi
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety (VESPA); Laboratory of Anatomy; Università degli Studi di Milano; Milano Italy
| | - G. Bosi
- Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety (VESPA); Laboratory of Anatomy; Università degli Studi di Milano; Milano Italy
| | - G. Accogli
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO); Veterinary Clinics and Animal Productions Section; University of Bari “Aldo Moro”; Bari Italy
| | - S. Desantis
- Department of Emergency and Organ Transplantation (DETO); Veterinary Clinics and Animal Productions Section; University of Bari “Aldo Moro”; Bari Italy
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Arrighi S. Are the basal cells of the mammalian epididymis still an enigma? Reprod Fertil Dev 2014; 26:1061-71. [DOI: 10.1071/rd13301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2013] [Accepted: 09/16/2013] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Basal cells are present in the columnar pseudostratified epithelium covering the epididymis of all mammalian species, which regulates the microenvironment where the functionally incompetent germ cells produced by the testis are matured and stored. Striking novelties have come from investigations on epididymal basal cells in the past 30–40 years. In addition to an earlier hypothesised scavenger role for basal cells, linked to their proven extratubular origin and the expression of macrophage antigens, basal cells have been shown to be involved in cell–cell cross-talk, as well as functioning as luminal sensors to regulate the activity of principal and clear cells. Involvement of basal cells in the regulation of electrolyte and water transport by principal cells was hypothesised. This control is suggested to be mediated by the local formation of prostaglandins. Members of the aquaporin (AQP) and/or aquaglyceroporin family (AQP3, AQP7 and AQP8) are also specifically expressed in the rat epididymal basal cells. Transport of glycerol and glycerylphosphorylcholine from the epithelium of the epididymis to the lumen in relation to sperm maturation may be mediated by AQP. Most probably basal cells collaborate to the building up of the blood–epididymis barrier through cell adhesion molecules, implying an involvement in immune control exerted towards sperm cells, which are foreigners in the environment in which they were produced.
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Arrighi S, Aralla M. Immunolocalization of Aquaporin Water Channels in the Domestic Cat Male Genital Tract. Reprod Domest Anim 2013; 49:17-26. [DOI: 10.1111/rda.12213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2013] [Accepted: 06/07/2013] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- S Arrighi
- Laboratory of Anatomy Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety Università degli Studi di Milano Milano Italy
| | - M Aralla
- Laboratory of Anatomy Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety Università degli Studi di Milano Milano Italy
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Aquaporin water channels in the canine gubernaculum testis. Acta Histochem 2013; 115:541-8. [PMID: 23305875 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2012.12.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2012] [Revised: 11/26/2012] [Accepted: 11/28/2012] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
Abstract
The jelly-like gubernaculum testis (GT) is a hydrated structure consisting of a concentric sheath of dense connective tissue around a loose mesenchymal core, with two cords of skeletal muscle cells asymmetrically placed alongside. Expansion of the GT occurs during the transabdominal phase of testicular descent, linked to cell proliferation together with modifications of the hydric content of the organ. The aim of this study was to detect immunohistochemically the presence of aquaporins (AQPs), integral membrane proteins permitting passive transcellular water movement, in the canine GTs. Samples (n=15) were obtained from pregnancies of 9 medium sized bitches and dissected from healthy fetuses. Five fetuses were aged 35-45 days of gestation, 10 fetuses from 46 days of gestation to delivery, thus offering us the opportunity to study the progressive maturation of the gubernacula. The presence of AQP3, 4, 7, 8 and -9 was assessed in the muscular components of the GT, some of them (AQP3, AQP4, AQP7) with increasing intensity through the second half of pregnancy up to term. AQP1 was localized in the capillary and venous endothelia in the younger fetuses, also in the artery adventitia and in the nerve perineurium in progressively older fetuses. These data demonstrate the potential importance and contribution of AQP-mediated water flux in hydration and volume modification of the growing GT in a canine model.
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Oliveira RL, Campolina-Silva GH, Nogueira JC, Mahecha GAB, Oliveira CA. Differential expression and seasonal variation on aquaporins 1 and 9 in the male genital system of big fruit-eating bat Artibeus lituratus. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2013; 186:116-25. [PMID: 23510858 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2013.02.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2012] [Revised: 02/22/2013] [Accepted: 02/24/2013] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Efferent ductules and epididymis are involved in water and solute transport, which is indispensable for storage and maintenance of the sperm viability. The reabsorption process involves proteins such as aquaporins (AQP), which has been described in the male genital system of limited species, including primate, rodents, cats and dogs. To contribute with information about AQPs in the male system, here we investigated the distribution of AQP1 and AQP9 in the tropical bat Artibeus lituratus, along the annual reproductive cycle. A. lituratus is a seasonal breeder with natural variation in components of the androgen and estrogen responsive system, thus being a good model for exploring the AQPs modulation. AQP1 was found restricted to differentiating spermatids, efferent ductules epithelium and venular endothelia along the male tract. AQP9 was detected throughout the epididymis being more abundant in the cauda and ductus deferens, but was not found in testis, rete testis and efferent ductules. Contrasting with AQP1 which appear to be constitutively expressed, there was seasonal variation in AQP9 expression, which was reduced in regressed epididymis. The AQP9 does not appear to be modulated by estradiol or androgens, but possibly by other factor related to luminal sperm. The establishment of specific function for aquaporins in the male tract remains undetermined; however, the cellular distribution presently found are compatible with the main function of AQP1, as a selective water channel, and AQP9, which is a conduct for water and a plethora of neutral solutes present in the epididymis milieu such as glycerol and urea.
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Affiliation(s)
- Regiana L Oliveira
- Department of Morphology, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Cx. Postal 486, CEP 31270-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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Functions of water channels in male and female reproductive systems. Mol Aspects Med 2012; 33:676-90. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mam.2012.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2011] [Revised: 01/31/2012] [Accepted: 02/06/2012] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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