Lee KH. Expressional Modulation of Aquaporin 1 and 9 in the Rat Epididymis by
an Anabolic-Androgenic Steroid, Nandrolone Decanoate.
Dev Reprod 2021;
25:245-255. [PMID:
35141450 PMCID:
PMC8807133 DOI:
10.12717/dr.2021.25.4.245]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2021] [Revised: 10/30/2021] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/02/2022]
Abstract
The spermatozoa become mature in the epididymis which is divided into initial
segment and caput, corpus, and cauda epididymis. The water movement across the
epididymal epithelium is important for creating luminal microenvironment for
sperm maturation. Aquaporins (Aqps) are water channel proteins,
and expression of Aqps is regulated by androgens. The current
research was focused to examine expressional regulation of Aqp1
and Aqp9 by an androgenic-anabolic steroid, nandrolone
decanoate (ND). The ND at the low dose (2 mg/ kg body weight/week) or high dose
(10 mg) was subcutaneously administrated into male rats for 2 or 12 weeks.
Transcript levels of Aqp1 and Aqp9 were
determined by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analyses.
In the initial segment, level of Aqp1 was decreased with 12
week-treatment, while Aqp9 level was decreased by the high dose
treatment for 12 weeks. In the caput epididymis, Aqp9
expression was decreased by the low dose treatment. The 2 week-treatment
resulted in an increase of Aqp1 level but a decrease of
Aqp9 expression in the corpus epididymis. In the corpus
epididymis, the 12 week-treatment at the low dose caused the reduction of
Aqp1 and Aqp9 levels, but the high dose
treatment resulted in an increase of Aqp1 expression and a
decrease of Aqp9 level. In the cauda epididymis,
Aqp1 expression was decreased by 2 and 12 week-treatments,
while increases of Aqp9 levels was detected with the high dose
treatment for 2 weeks and with 12 week-treatment. These findings indicate
differential regulation of Aqp1 and Aqp9
expression among epididymal segments by ND.
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