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DeSanto M, Deem S. A unique case of large cell calcifying type sertoli tumor. Urol Case Rep 2024; 54:102725. [PMID: 38601086 PMCID: PMC11004691 DOI: 10.1016/j.eucr.2024.102725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2023] [Revised: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 03/23/2024] [Indexed: 04/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Sertoli cells tumors are a rare testicular malignancy, with prevalence estimated to be less than 1% of testicular cancers. Furthermore, testicular cancer only accounts for approximately 0.5% of all diagnosed cancers. This is a unique case of a 19-year-old male where physical exam and ultrasonography findings revealed an intratesticular mass that, after pathologic analysis, demonstrated T1 large cell calcifying type Sertoli cell tumor which is infrequently documented in the literature.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Samuel Deem
- Charleston Area Medical Center, Charleston, WV, USA
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2
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Tian Y, Guo J, Hua L, Jiang Y, Ge W, Zhang X, Cai D, Lu D, Wang B, Shen W, Sun Z, Han B. Mechanisms of imbalanced testicular homeostasis in infancy due to aberrant histone acetylation in undifferentiated spermatogonia under different concentrations of Di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) exposure. Environ Pollut 2024; 347:123742. [PMID: 38460586 DOI: 10.1016/j.envpol.2024.123742] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2024] [Revised: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/11/2024]
Abstract
Di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP), identified as an endocrine-disrupting chemical, is associated with reproductive toxicity. This association is particularly noteworthy in newborns with incompletely developed metabolic functions, as exposure to DEHP can induce enduring damage to the reproductive system, potentially influencing adult reproductive health. In this study, we continuously administered 40 μg/kg and 80 μg/kg DEHP to postnatal day 5 (PD5) mice for ten days to simulate low and high doses of DEHP exposure during infancy. Utilizing single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), our analysis revealed that varying concentrations of DEHP exposure during infancy induced distinct DNA damage response characteristics in testicular Undifferentiated spermatogonia (Undiff SPG). Specifically, DNA damage triggered mitochondrial dysfunction, leading to acetyl-CoA content alterations. Subsequently, this disruption caused aberrations in histone acetylation patterns, ultimately resulting in apoptosis of Undiff SPG in the 40 μg/kg DEHP group and autophagy in the 80 μg/kg DEHP group. Furthermore, we found that DEHP exposure impacts the development and functionality of Sertoli and Leydig cells through the focal adhesion and PPAR signaling pathways, respectively. We also revealed that Leydig cells regulate the metabolic environment of Undiff SPG via Ptn-Sdc4 and Mdk-Sdc4 after DEHP exposure. Finally, our study provided pioneering evidence that disruptions in testicular homeostasis induced by DEHP exposure during infancy endure into adulthood. In summary, this study elucidates the molecular mechanisms through which DEHP exposure during infancy influences the development of testicular cell populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Tian
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen, China; College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Jiachen Guo
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Lei Hua
- School of Clinical Medicine, Henan University, Kaifeng, China
| | - Yinuo Jiang
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Ge
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Xiaoyuan Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Diya Cai
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Dongliang Lu
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Bin Wang
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Wei Shen
- College of Life Sciences, Qingdao Agricultural University, Qingdao, China
| | - Zhongyi Sun
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen, China
| | - Baoquan Han
- Department of Urology, Shenzhen University General Hospital, Shenzhen, China.
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Wang L, Yan M, Bu T, Wu X, Li L, Silvestrini B, Sun F, Cheng CY, Chen H. Map-1a regulates Sertoli cell BTB dynamics through the cytoskeletal organization of microtubule and F-actin. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2024; 22:36. [PMID: 38570783 PMCID: PMC10988971 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-024-01204-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2024] [Accepted: 03/11/2024] [Indexed: 04/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Microtubule-associated protein 1a (Map1a) is a microtubule (MT) regulatory protein that binds to the MT protofilaments in mammalian cells to promote MT stabilization. Maps work with MT cleavage proteins and other MT catastrophe-inducing proteins to confer MT dynamics to support changes in the Sertoli cell shape to sustain spermatogenesis. However, no functional studies are found in the literature to probe its role in spermatogenesis. Using an RNAi approach, coupled with the use of toxicant-induced testis (in vivo)- and Sertoli cell (in vitro)-injury models, RNA-Seq analysis, transcriptome profiling, and relevant bioinformatics analysis, immunofluorescence analysis, and pertinent biochemical assays for cytoskeletal organization, we have delineated the functional role of Map1a in Sertoli cells and testes. Map1a was shown to support MT structural organization, and its knockdown (KD) also perturbed the structural organization of actin, vimentin, and septin cytoskeletons as these cytoskeletons are intimately related, working in concert to support spermatogenesis. More importantly, cadmium-induced Sertoli cell injury that perturbed the MT structural organization across the cell cytoplasm was associated with disruptive changes in the distribution of Map1a and a surge in p-p38-MAPK (phosphorylated p38-mitogen-activated protein kinase) expression but not total p38-MAPK. These findings thus support the notion that p-p38-MAPK activation is involved in cadmium-induced Sertoli cell injury. This conclusion was supported by studies using doramapimod, a specific p38-MAPK phosphorylation (activation) inhibitor, which was capable of restoring the cadmium-induced disruptive structural organization of MTs across the Sertoli cell cytoplasm. In summary: this study provides mechanistic insights regarding restoration of toxicant-induced Sertoli cell and testis injury and male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lingling Wang
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Ming Yan
- Jiangsu Key Laboratory of Drug Screening, China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing, 210009, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tiao Bu
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xiaolong Wu
- Department of Urology and Andrology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, 310016, Zhejiang, China
| | - Linxi Li
- The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children's Hospital, Wenzhou Medical University, Zhejiang 325027, Wenzhou, China
| | - Bruno Silvestrini
- Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Rome La Sapienza, P. Le Aldo Moro 5, 00185, Rome, Italy
| | - Fei Sun
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
| | - C Yan Cheng
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
| | - Hao Chen
- Institute of Reproductive Medicine, Medical School of Nantong University, Nantong, 226001, Jiangsu, China.
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Iida M, Asano A. Effects of glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonists on spermatogenesis-related gene expression in mouse testis and testis-derived cell lines. J Vet Med Sci 2024:24-0042. [PMID: 38556323 DOI: 10.1292/jvms.24-0042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) is an incretin released into the gastrointestinal tract after food ingestion, and stimulates insulin secretion from the beta cells of the pancreatic islets. Incretins have recently been reported to have extrapancreatic actions, and they are anticipated to have potential efficacy for conditions such as male infertility as well as diabetes. However, the effects of incretins on male reproductive function remain unclear. In this study, GLP-1 receptor expression and the effects of GLP-1 on spermatogenesis-associated genes were investigated using mouse testes and testis-derived cultured cell lines. Glp1r mRNA and GLP-1 protein were expressed in mouse testes at levels comparable to or greater than those in positive control adipose tissue, and the liver and intestine, and also in a Sertoli cell line (TM4) and a Leydig cell line (MA-10) as well as the GC-1 spg and GC-2 spd(ts) germ cell lines. TM4 cells treated with the GLP-1 receptor agonist exenatide showed transiently and significantly upregulated Kitl, Pdgfa, and Glp1r mRNA expression. Furthermore, at 1 hr post-exenatide administration to male mice, Kitl and Glp1r mRNA expression levels were significantly increased, and Pdgfa mRNA expression level also showed a tendency toward increase. TM4 cells were treated with various cell-activating agents, and bucladesine elicited significantly increased Glp1r mRNA expression. We suggest that GLP-1 provides acute stimulation of Sertoli cells in the mouse testis and has a stimulatory effect on the expression of spermatogenesis-related genes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masashi Iida
- Laboratory of Laboratory Animal Science, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University
- Safety Assessment Department, Kumamoto Laboratories, Mediford Corporation
| | - Atsushi Asano
- Laboratory of Laboratory Animal Science, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kagoshima University
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Mohammadpour-Asl S, Roshan-Milani S, Fard AA, Golchin A. Hormetic effects of a cannabinoid system component, 2-arachidonoyl glycerol, on cell viability and expression profile of growth factors in cultured mouse Sertoli cells: Friend or foe of male fertility? Reprod Toxicol 2024; 125:108575. [PMID: 38462211 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108575] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/10/2023] [Revised: 03/05/2024] [Accepted: 03/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/12/2024]
Abstract
The generally undesired effects of exocannabinoids on male reproduction include alterations in testicular cell proliferation and function, as well as apoptosis induction. However, this paradigm has been challenged by the ability of endocannabinoids to regulate reproductive function. The present study addresses these paradoxical facts by investigating the effects of the endocannabinoid 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) on mouse Sertoli cells' survival and apoptosis, with a mechanistic insight into Sertoli cell-based growth factors' production. The Mus musculus Sertoli cell line (TM4) was exposed to different concentrations of 2-AG, and cell viability was evaluated using MTT assay. Growth factors' gene and protein expressions were analyzed through RT-PCR and western blotting. 2-AG concentration dependently increased TM4 viability, with a slight increase starting at 0.0001 µM, a peak of 190% of the control level at 1 µM, and a decrease at 3 µM. Moreover, 2-AG paradoxically altered mRNA expression of caspase-3 and growth factors. Caspase-3 mRNA expression was down-regulated, and growth factors mRNA and protein expression were up-regulated when using a low concentration of 2-AG (1 μM). Opposite effects were observed by a higher concentration of 2-AG (3 μM). These paradoxical effects of 2-AG can be explained through the concept of hormesis. The results indicate the pivotal role of 2-AG in mediating Sertoli cell viability and apoptosis, at least in part, through altering growth factors secretion. Furthermore, they suggest the involvement of endocannabinoids in Sertoli cell-based physiological and pathological conditions and reflect the ability of abnormally elevated 2-AG to mimic the actions of exocannabinoids in reproductive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shadi Mohammadpour-Asl
- Student Research Committee, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran; Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Shiva Roshan-Milani
- Neurophysiology Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran.
| | - Amin Abdollahzade Fard
- Nephrology and Kidney Transplant Research Center, Clinical Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
| | - Ali Golchin
- Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Cellular and Molecular Medicine Research Institute, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran; Department of Clinical Biochemistry and Applied Cell Sciences, School of Medicine, Urmia University of Medical Sciences, Urmia, Iran
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Bhattacharya I, Sharma SS, Majumdar SS. Etiology of Male Infertility: an Update. Reprod Sci 2024; 31:942-965. [PMID: 38036863 DOI: 10.1007/s43032-023-01401-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2023] [Accepted: 10/30/2023] [Indexed: 12/02/2023]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a complex process of germ cell division and differentiation that involves extensive cross-talk between the developing germ cells and the somatic testicular cells. Defective endocrine signaling and/or intrinsic defects within the testes can adversely affect spermatogenic progression, leading to subfertility/infertility. In recent years, male infertility has been recognized as a global public health concern, and research over the last few decades has elucidated the complex etiology of male infertility. Congenital reproductive abnormalities, genetic mutations, and endocrine/metabolic dysfunction have been demonstrated to be involved in infertility/subfertility in males. Furthermore, acquired factors like exposure to environmental toxicants and lifestyle-related disorders such as illicit use of psychoactive drugs have been shown to adversely affect spermatogenesis. Despite the large body of available scientific literature on the etiology of male infertility, a substantial proportion of infertility cases are idiopathic in nature, with no known cause. The inability to treat such idiopathic cases stems from poor knowledge about the complex regulation of spermatogenesis. Emerging scientific evidence indicates that defective functioning of testicular Sertoli cells (Sc) may be an underlying cause of infertility/subfertility in males. Sc plays an indispensable role in regulating spermatogenesis, and impaired functional maturation of Sc has been shown to affect fertility in animal models as well as humans, suggesting abnormal Sc as a potential underlying cause of reproductive insufficiency/failure in such cases of unexplained infertility. This review summarizes the major causes of infertility/subfertility in males, with an emphasis on infertility due to dysregulated Sc function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Indrashis Bhattacharya
- Department of Zoology, Central University of Kerala, Periye Campus, Kasaragod, 671320, Kerala, India.
| | - Souvik Sen Sharma
- National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, 500 032, Telangana, India
| | - Subeer S Majumdar
- National Institute of Animal Biotechnology, Hyderabad, 500 032, Telangana, India.
- Gujarat Biotechnology University, Gandhinagar, GIFT City, Gandhinagar, 382355, Gujarat, India.
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Murugesh V, Ritting M, Salem S, Aalam SMM, Garcia J, Chattha AJ, Zhao Y, Knapp DJHF, Kalthur G, Granberg CF, Kannan N. Puberty Blocker and Aging Impact on Testicular Cell States and Function. bioRxiv 2024:2024.03.23.586441. [PMID: 38585884 PMCID: PMC10996503 DOI: 10.1101/2024.03.23.586441] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/09/2024]
Abstract
Spermatogonial stem cell (SSC) acquisition of meiotogenetic state during puberty to produce genetically diverse gametes is blocked by drugs collectively referred as 'puberty blocker' (PB). Investigating the impact of PB on juvenile SSC state and function is challenging due to limited tissue access and clinical data. Herein, we report largest clinically annotated juvenile testicular biorepository with all children with gender dysphoria on chronic PB treatment highlighting shift in pediatric patient demography in US. At the tissue level, we report mild-to-severe sex gland atrophy in PB treated children. We developed most extensive integrated single-cell RNA dataset to date (>100K single cells; 25 patients), merging both public and novel (52 month PB-treated) datasets, alongside innovative computational approach tailed for germ cells and evaluated the impact of PB and aging on SSC. We report novel constitutional ranges for each testicular cell type across the entire age spectrum, distinct effects of treatments on prepubertal vs adult SSC, presence of spermatogenic epithelial cells exhibiting post-meiotic-state, irrespective of age, puberty status, or PB treatment. Further, we defined distinct effects of PB and aging on testicular cell lineage composition, and SSC meiotogenetic state and function. Using single cell data from prepubertal and young adult, we were able to accurately predict sexual maturity based both on overall cell type proportions, as well as on gene expression patterns within each major cell type. Applying these models to a PB-treated patient that they appeared pre-pubertal across the entire tissue. This combined with the noted gland atrophy and abnormalities from the histology data raise a potential concern regarding the complete 'reversibility' and reproductive fitness of SSC. The biorepository, data, and research approach presented in this study provide unique opportunity to explore the impact of PB on testicular reproductive health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Varshini Murugesh
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Megan Ritting
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Salem Salem
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | | | - Joaquin Garcia
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Asma J Chattha
- Department of Pediatrics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - Yulian Zhao
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
| | - David JHF Knapp
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Institut de Recherche en Immunologie et Cancérologie, and Département de Pathologie et Biologie Cellulaire, Université de Montréal, Montreal, QC, Canada
- Senior authors
| | - Guruprasad Kalthur
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Division of Reproductive Biology, Department of Reproductive Science, Kasturba Medical College, Manipal, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Manipal, India
- Senior authors
| | | | - Nagarajan Kannan
- Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Center for Regenerative Biotherapeutics, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA
- Senior authors
- Lead contact
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Zhang Z, Wang Q, Gao X, Tang X, Xu H, Wang W, Lei X. Reproductive toxicity of cadmium stress in male animals. Toxicology 2024:153787. [PMID: 38522818 DOI: 10.1016/j.tox.2024.153787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2024] [Revised: 03/21/2024] [Accepted: 03/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/26/2024]
Abstract
Cadmium (Cd) is a common heavy metal pollutant in the environment, and the widespread use of products containing Cd compounds in industry has led to excessive levels in the environment, which enter the animal body through the food chain, thus seriously affecting the reproductive development of animals. Related studies have reported that Cd severely affects spermatogonia development and spermatogenesis in animals. In contrast, the reproductive toxicity of Cd in males and its mechanism of action have not been clarified. Therefore, this paper reviewed the toxic effects of Cd on germ cells, spermatogonia somatic cells and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis (HPG axis) of male animals and its toxic action mechanisms of oxidative stress, apoptosis and autophagy from the perspectives of cytology, genetics and neuroendocrinology. The effects of Cd stress on epigenetic modification of reproductive development in male animals were also analyzed. We hope to provide a reference for the in-depth study of the toxicity of Cd on male animal reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zikun Zhang
- College of Life Sciences, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi 716000, China; Yan'an Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration, Yan'an, China
| | - Qi Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi 716000, China; Yan'an Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration, Yan'an, China
| | - Xiaoge Gao
- College of Life Sciences, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi 716000, China; Yan'an Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration, Yan'an, China
| | - Xu Tang
- College of Life Sciences, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi 716000, China; Yan'an Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration, Yan'an, China
| | - Huan Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi 716000, China; Yan'an Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration, Yan'an, China
| | - Wenqiang Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi 716000, China; Yan'an Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration, Yan'an, China.
| | - Xin Lei
- College of Life Sciences, Yan'an University, Yan'an, Shaanxi 716000, China; Yan'an Key Laboratory of Ecological Restoration, Yan'an, China.
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Liu M, He Q, Yuan Z, Chen N, Ren S, Du Q, Wang Y, Han S, Xu C, Lu L, Sun Z, Guan Y, Xie J, Guan Y, Ye L. HDAC3 promotes Sertoli cell maturation and maintains the blood-testis barrier dynamics. FASEB J 2024; 38:e23526. [PMID: 38430456 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202301349rr] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2023] [Revised: 02/05/2024] [Accepted: 02/16/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Germ cell development depends on the capacity of somatic Sertoli cells to undergo differentiation into a mature state and establish a germ cell-specific blood-testis barrier (BTB). The BTB structure confers an immunological barrier for meiotic and postmeiotic germ cells, and its dynamic permeability facilitates a transient movement of preleptotene spermatocytes through BTB to enter meiosis. However, the regulatory factors involved in Sertoli cell maturation and how BTB dynamics coordinate germ cell development remain unclear. Here, we found a histone deacetylase HDAC3 abundantly expresses in Sertoli cells and localizes in both cytoplasm and nucleus. Sertoli cell-specific Hdac3 knockout in mice causes infertility with compromised integrity of blood-testis barrier, leading to germ cells unable to traverse through BTB and an accumulation of preleptotene spermatocytes in juvenile testis. Mechanistically, nuclear HDAC3 regulates the expression program of Sertoli cell maturation genes, and cytoplasmic HDAC3 forms a complex with the gap junction protein Connexin 43 to modulate the BTB integrity and dynamics through regulating the distribution of tight junction proteins. Our findings identify HDAC3 as a critical regulator in promoting Sertoli cell maturation and maintaining the homeostasis of the blood-testis barrier.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengrou Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qing He
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zihan Yuan
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Niuniu Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Sen Ren
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Qian Du
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yanfeng Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Shenglin Han
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Chen Xu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Luyang Lu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Zheng Sun
- Department of Medicine, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Yongjuan Guan
- College of Life Sciences, Capital Normal University, Beijing, China
| | - Jie Xie
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Yichun Guan
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, the Third Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, China
| | - Lan Ye
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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Rodprasert W, Virtanen HE, Toppari J. Cryptorchidism and puberty. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne) 2024; 15:1347435. [PMID: 38532895 PMCID: PMC10963523 DOI: 10.3389/fendo.2024.1347435] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2023] [Accepted: 02/15/2024] [Indexed: 03/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Cryptorchidism is the condition in which one or both testes have not descended adequately into the scrotum. The congenital form of cryptorchidism is one of the most prevalent urogenital anomalies in male newborns. In the acquired form of cryptorchidism, the testis that was previously descended normally is no longer located in the scrotum. Cryptorchidism is associated with an increased risk of infertility and testicular germ cell tumors. However, data on pubertal progression are less well-established because of the limited number of studies. Here, we aim to review the currently available data on pubertal development in boys with a history of non-syndromic cryptorchidism-both congenital and acquired cryptorchidism. The review is focused on the timing of puberty, physical changes, testicular growth, and endocrine development during puberty. The available evidence demonstrated that the timing of the onset of puberty in boys with a history of congenital cryptorchidism does not differ from that of non-cryptorchid boys. Hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal hormone measurements showed an impaired function or fewer Sertoli cells and/or germ cells among boys with a history of cryptorchidism, particularly with a history of bilateral cryptorchidism treated with orchiopexy. Leydig cell function is generally not affected in boys with a history of cryptorchidism. Data on pubertal development among boys with acquired cryptorchidism are lacking; therefore, more research is needed to investigate pubertal progression among such boys.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wiwat Rodprasert
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology and Centre for Population Health Research, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Helena E. Virtanen
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology and Centre for Population Health Research, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
| | - Jorma Toppari
- Research Centre for Integrative Physiology and Pharmacology and Centre for Population Health Research, Institute of Biomedicine, University of Turku, Turku, Finland
- Department of Pediatrics, Turku University Hospital, Turku, Finland
- Department of Growth and Reproduction, Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
- Centre for Research and Research Training in Endocrine Disruption of Male Reproduction and Child Health (EDMaRC), Copenhagen University Hospital—Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen, Denmark
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Zhang R, Wang XX, Xie JF, Yao TT, Guo QW, Wang Q, Ding Z, Zhang JP, Zhang MR, Xu LC. Cypermethrin induces Sertoli cell apoptosis through endoplasmic reticulum-mitochondrial coupling involving IP3R1-GRP75-VDAC1. Reprod Toxicol 2024; 124:108552. [PMID: 38296003 DOI: 10.1016/j.reprotox.2024.108552] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2023] [Revised: 01/06/2024] [Accepted: 01/25/2024] [Indexed: 02/18/2024]
Abstract
A widely used type II pyrethroid pesticide cypermethrin (CYP) is one of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) with anti-androgenic activity to induce male reproductive toxicology. However, the mechanisms have not been fully elucidated. This study was to explore the effects of CYP on apoptosis of mouse Sertoli cells (TM4) and the roles of endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-mitochondria coupling involving 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor type1-glucose-regulated protein 75-voltage-dependent anion channel 1 (IP3R1-GRP75-VDAC1). TM4 were cultured with different concentrations of CYP. Flow cytometry, calcium (Ca2+) fluorescent probe, transmission electron microscopy and confocal microscopy, and western blot were to examine apoptosis of TM4, mitochondrial Ca2+, ER-mitochondria coupling, and expressions of related proteins. CYP was found to increase apoptotic rates of TM4 significantly. CYP was shown to significantly increase expressions of cleaved caspase-3, cleaved poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP). Concentration of mitochondrial Ca2+ was increased by CYP treatment significantly. CYP significantly enhanced ER-mitochondria coupling. CYP was shown to increase expressions of IP3R, Grp75 and VDAC1 significantly. We suggest that CYP induces apoptosis in TM4 cells by facilitating mitochondrial Ca2+ overload regulated by ER-mitochondria coupling involving IP3R1-GRP75-VDAC1. This study identifies a novel mechanism of CYP-induced apoptosis in Sertoli cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rui Zhang
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-Shan Road, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Xu-Xu Wang
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-Shan Road, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Jia-Fei Xie
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-Shan Road, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Ting-Ting Yao
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-Shan Road, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Qian-Wen Guo
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-Shan Road, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Qi Wang
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-Shan Road, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Zhen Ding
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-Shan Road, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Jin-Peng Zhang
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-Shan Road, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Mei-Rong Zhang
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-Shan Road, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China
| | - Li-Chun Xu
- Key Lab of Environment and Health, School of Public Health, Xuzhou Medical University, 209 Tong-Shan Road, Xuzhou 221004, Jiangsu, China; Key Laboratory of Human Genetics and Environmental Medicine, Xuzhou Medical University, Xuzhou, Jiangsu 221004, China.
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12
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Pan C, Kong X, Wu Z, Fei Q. The role of hepatitis B virus surface protein in inducing Sertoli cell ferroptosis. Andrology 2024; 12:643-654. [PMID: 37644905 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 08/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/09/2023] [Indexed: 08/31/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS Hepatitis B virus infection could result in male infertility with sperm defects and dysfunction. Sertoli cells are essential for testis function and play a crucial role in spermatogenesis. Sertoli cell death contributes to spermatogenesis impairment, leading to poor sperm quality. Ferroptosis has been implicated as a mechanism of Sertoli cell death. The issue in studying the relationship between hepatitis B virus and Sertoli cell ferroptosis has not yet been addressed. OBJECTIVES To explore the mechanisms underlying ferroptosis in hepatitis B virus-exposed Sertoli cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS Human Sertoli cells were treated in vitro with levels of 25, 50, and 100 μg/mL of hepatitis B virus surface protein (HBs). Cell viability and levels of glutathione, malondialdehyde, cellular ferrous ion (Fe2+ ), lipid peroxidation, and N6-methyladenosine in Sertoli cells were detected. The level of glutathione peroxidase 4, transferrin receptor 1, ferritin heavy chain, tripartite motif (TRIM) 37, methyltransferase like 3, and insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 was examined. Cell transfection was carried out to alter expression of ferroptosis-related proteins. qPCR and immunoblotting were performed to measure protein expression level. Immunoprecipitation was applied to determine the protein and protein-RNA interaction. Luminescence analysis was performed to identify the target of methyltransferase like 3. RESULTS HBs exposure triggered ferroptosis featured with increased intracellular Fe2+ ion, reduced cell viability and expression of glutathione peroxidase 4 in Sertoli cells. HBs treatment significantly increased TRIM37 expression, which suppressed glutathione peroxidase 4 expression through ubiquitination. TRIM37 silencing attenuated the effect of HBs exposure-regulated cell viability and ferroptosis. HBs upregulated N6-methyladenosine modification in TRIM37 3'-UTR by increasing methyltransferase like 3 expression. The binding of N6-methyladenosine reader insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA binding protein 2 and TRIM37 3'-UTR enhanced the stability of TRIM37 mRNA. CONCLUSION HBs can decrease human Sertoli cell viability by promoting ferroptosis induced by the loss of glutathione peroxidase 4 activity through TRIM37-mediated ubiquitination of glutathione peroxidase 4. The findings highlight the role of TRIM37/glutathione peroxidase 4 signaling responsible for ferroptosis regulation in hepatitis B virus-infected Sertoli cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chengshuang Pan
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Xiangbin Kong
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Zhigang Wu
- Department of Urology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
| | - Qianjin Fei
- Reproductive Medicine Center, The First Affiliated Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, China
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13
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Zheng X, Guo C, Lv Z, Li J, Jiang H, Li S, Yu L, Zhang Z. Novel findings from arsenic‑lead combined exposure in mouse testicular TM4 Sertoli cells based on transcriptomics. Sci Total Environ 2024; 913:169611. [PMID: 38157908 DOI: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.169611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/21/2023] [Revised: 12/04/2023] [Accepted: 12/20/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
Arsenic (As) and lead (Pb) exist widespread in daily life, and they are common harmful substances in the environment. As and Pb pollute the environment more often in combination than in isolation. The TM4 Sertoli cell line is one of the most common normal mouse testicular Sertoli cell lines. In vitro, we found that the type of combined action of As and Pb on TM4 Sertoli cells was additive action by using the isobologram analysis. To further investigate the combined toxicity of As and Pb, we performed mRNA and miRNA sequencing on TM4 Sertoli cells exposed to As alone (4 μM NaAsO2) and AsPb combined (4 μM NaAsO2 and 150 μM PbAc), respectively. Compared with the control group, 1391 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) and 6 differentially expressed miRNAs (DEMs) were identified in the As group. Compared with the control group, 2384 DEGs and 44 DEMs were identified in the AsPb group. Compared with the As group, 387 DEGs and 4 DEMs were identified in the AsPb group. Through data analysis, we discovered for the first time that As caused the dysfunction of cholesterol synthesis and energy metabolism, and disrupted cyclic adenosine monophosphate signaling pathway and wingless/integrated (Wnt) signaling pathway in TM4 Sertoli cells. In addition to affecting cholesterol synthesis and energy metabolism, AsPb combined exposure also up-regulated the antioxidant reaction level of TM4 Sertoli cells. Meanwhile, the Wnt signaling pathway of TM4 Sertoli cells was relatively normal when exposed to AsPb. In conclusion, at the transcription level, the combined action of AsPb is not merely additive effect, but involves synergistic and antagonistic effects. The new discovery of the joint toxic mechanism of As and Pb breaks the stereotype of the combined action and provides a good theoretical basis and research clue for future study of the combined-exposure of harmful materials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Zheng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Changming Guo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun 130062, China
| | - Zhanjun Lv
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Jiayi Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Huijie Jiang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Siyu Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Lu Yu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China
| | - Zhigang Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
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14
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Wei L, Feng Z, Dou Q, Tan L, Zhao X, Hao B. Dysregulation of MTFR2, ATP5IF1 and BAK1 in Sertoli cells relates to idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia via inhibiting mitochondrial fission and inducing mitochondrial dysfunction†. Biol Reprod 2024; 110:408-418. [PMID: 37903059 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioad150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Revised: 09/28/2023] [Accepted: 10/24/2023] [Indexed: 11/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Non-obstructive azoospermia affects more than 10% of infertile men with over 70% patients are idiopathic with uncharacterized molecular mechanisms, which is referred as idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia. In this study, we checked the morphology of Sertoli cell mitochondria in testis biopsies from patients with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia and patients with obstructive azoospermia who have normal spermiogenesis. The expression of 104 genes controlling mitochondria fission and fusion were analyzed in three gene expression datasets including a total of 60 patients with non-obstructive azoospermia. The levels of 7 candidate genes were detected in testis biopsies from 38 patients with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia and 24 patients with obstructive azoospermia who have normal spermatogenesis by RT-qPCR. Cell viability, apoptosis, mitochondria membrane potential, adenosine triphosphate production, oxygen consumption, and mitochondria morphology were examined in primary human Sertoli cells. Mouse spermatogonial stem cells were used to detect the cell supporting capacity of Sertoli cells. We observed that patients with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia had elongated mitochondria. MTFR2 and ATP5IF1 were downregulated, whereas BAK1 was upregulated in idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia testis and Sertoli cells. Sertoli cells from patients with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia had reduced viability, mitochondria membrane potential, adenosine triphosphate production, oxygen consumption rate, glycolysis and increased apoptosis. Knockdown MTFR2 in Sertoli cells increased the mitochondria size. Knockdown ATP5IF1 did not change mitochondrial morphology but increased adenosine triphosphate hydrolysis. Overexpression of BAK1 reduced membrane potential and upregulated cell apoptosis. The dysregulation of all these three genes contributed to the dysfunction of Sertoli cells, which provides a clue for idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia treatment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lei Wei
- Reproductive Medical Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Zonggang Feng
- Reproductive Medical Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Qian Dou
- Reproductive Medical Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Li Tan
- Reproductive Medical Center, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Xinghua Zhao
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
| | - Bin Hao
- Department of Urology, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University, Zhengzhou, Henan, China
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15
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Feng Q, Liu Y, Zou L, Lei M, Zhu C, Xia W. Fluorene-9-bisphenol exposure damages the testis in mice through a novel mechanism of ferroptosis. Food Chem Toxicol 2024; 184:114385. [PMID: 38123054 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2023.114385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/21/2023] [Revised: 11/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/12/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
Fluorene-9-bisphenol (BHPF) is an emerging global endocrine-disrupting chemical found in numerous household products as a substitute of bisphenol A. Many studies have reported various toxicities associated with BHPF. However, the effect of BHPF on male reproduction, particularly on the structural integrity of the blood testis barrier (BTB) in mice, has not yet been extensively studied. Ferroptosis, a newly identified form of cell death, occurs in the testicular tissue following exposure to BPA, affecting male fertility. We investigated whether ferroptosis plays a role in BHPF-induced testicular damage. The findings indicated that BHPF exposure led decreases in serum testosterone (T) concentration and sperm concentration and motility in mice. Furthermore, BHPF disrupted the BTB by interfering with key BTB-related proteins, including Cx43, β-catenin, and ZO-1. Moreover, BHPF induced ferroptosis through the induction of lipid peroxidation, iron overload, oxidative stress, and mitochondrial dysfunction in the testicular tissue. Inhibition of ferroptosis using Fer-1 mitigated the BHPF-induced damage to the BTB and ferroptosis in TM4 cells. Overall, our findings indicated the detrimental effects of BHPF on male reproductive function in mice, suggesting ferroptosis as a mechanism underlying testicular damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Qiwen Feng
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Yumeng Liu
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Liping Zou
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Mengying Lei
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Changhong Zhu
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, People's Republic of China
| | - Wei Xia
- Institute of Reproductive Health, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430030, People's Republic of China.
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16
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Wu Z, Chen X, Yan T, Yu L, Zhang L, Zheng M, Zhu H. Rreb1 is a key transcription factor in Sertoli cell maturation and function and spermatogenesis in mouse. ZYGOTE 2024:1-9. [PMID: 38248872 DOI: 10.1017/s0967199423000655] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a developmental process driven by interactions between germ cells and Sertoli cells. This process depends on appropriate gene expression, which might be regulated by transcription factors. This study focused on Rreb1, a zinc finger transcription factor, and explored its function and molecular mechanisms in spermatogenesis in a mouse model. Our results showed that RREB1 was predominantly expressed in the Sertoli cells of the testis. The decreased expression of RREB1 following injection of siRNA caused impaired Sertoli cell development, which was characterized using a defective blood-testis barrier structure and decreased expression of Sertoli cell functional maturity markers; its essential trigger might be SMAD3 destabilization. The decreased expression of RREB1 in mature Sertoli cells influenced the cell structure and function, which resulted in abnormal spermatogenesis, manifested as oligoasthenoteratozoospermia, and we believe RREB1 plays this role by regulating the transcription of Fshr and Wt1. RREB1 has been reported to activate Fshr transcription, and we demonstrated that the knockdown of Rreb1 caused a reduction in follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR) in the testis, which could be the cause of the increased sperm malformation. Furthermore, we confirmed that RREB1 directly activates Wt1 promoter activity, and RREB1 downregulation induced the decreased expression of Wt1 and its downstream polarity-associated genes Par6b and E-cadherin, which caused increased germ-cell death and reduced sperm number and motility. In conclusion, RREB1 is a key transcription factor essential for Sertoli cell development and function and is required for normal spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zhu Wu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Xu Chen
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Tong Yan
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Li Yu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Longsheng Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
| | - Meimei Zheng
- Reproductive Medicine Center of No. 960 Hospital of PLA, Jinan, China
| | - Hui Zhu
- Department of Histology and Embryology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, China
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17
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Yang G, Li M, Yang Q, Zhai X, Halima J, Hu Q, Lei C, Dang R. Bta-miR-127 inhibits secretion, proliferation and promotes apoptosis by targeting ITGA6 in bovine Sertoli cell. Int J Biol Macromol 2023; 253:126838. [PMID: 37714242 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijbiomac.2023.126838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2023] [Revised: 08/16/2023] [Accepted: 09/06/2023] [Indexed: 09/17/2023]
Abstract
Sertoli cell (SC) play a critical role in the spermatogenesis process involved in male fecundity and reproductive potential. SC development is regulated by microRNAs (miRNAs). However, the effect and molecular mechanism of miRNAs and target genes on bovine immature SC remains poorly understood. In this study, bta-miR-127 overexpression in SC inhibited cell secretion, proliferation, cell viability, and S-phase cells number. However, inhibition of bta-miR-127 had the opposite effect. An over-expression of bta-miR-127 significantly promotes SC apoptosis, and bta-miR-127 inhibition can significantly inhibit this process. These results reveal that bta-miR-127 is an inhibitor of SC proliferation and secretion. A combination of transcriptome sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, and dual-luciferase reporter assay showed that ITGA6 was targeted by bta-miR-127. The small interfering RNA of ITGA6 (si-ITGA6) inhibits SC proliferation and secretion, as well as promotes apoptosis. The SC proliferation and secretion marker genes, cell viability, and S phase cell number in co-transfected si-ITGA6 + miR-127 inhibitor was significantly lower than those of the bta-miR-127 inhibitor group. These results further confirmed that bta-miR-127 targeting ITGA6 inhibits the SC proliferation and secretion, and promotes SC apoptosis. These findings proposed a novel miRNA (bta-miR-127) that impeded bovine SC proliferation and promoted SC apoptosis through downregulation of ITGA6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ge Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Mei Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Qiwen Yang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Xiangqin Zhai
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Jafari Halima
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Qiaoyan Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Chuzhao Lei
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China
| | - Ruihua Dang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Yangling 712100, China.
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18
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Liu Y, Liu Y, Chen S, Kong Z, Guo Y, Wang H. Prenatal exposure to acetaminophen at different doses, courses and time causes testicular dysplasia in offspring mice and its mechanism. Chemosphere 2023; 345:140496. [PMID: 37865203 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140496] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 10/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 10/23/2023]
Abstract
Epidemiological investigation suggested that the use of acetaminophen during pregnancy may cause offspring testicular dysplasia, but no systematic study has been conducted. In this study, Kunming mice were given acetaminophen at different doses (100/200/400 mg/kg.d), courses (single/multiple), time (second/third trimester) during pregnancy. Fetal blood and testes were collected on gestaional day 18 for detection. The results indicated abnormal testicular development in the PAcE (prenatal acetaminophen exposure) groups. The maximum diameter/cross-sectional area decreased, the interstitial space widened, and decreased proliferation/increased apoptosis were observed, especially in the high-dose, multi-course and second-trimester groups. Meanwhile, the serum testosterone level decreased in PAcE groups, and the steroid synthesis function in Leydig cells, Sertoli and spermatogenic cell function were inhibited, it was more significant in high-dose, multi-course and second-trimester groups. Furthermore, Wnt signal pathway was activated but Notch signal pathway was inhibited in the PAcE groups. Finally, in vitro experiment, acetaminophen could inhibit spermatogonial cell proliferation, enhance apoptosis, and change Wnt/Notch signal pathway. In conclusion, this study confirmed that PAcE can change fetal testicular development in a dose, course and time-dependent manner, and found that multicellular function impaired. This study provides theoretical and experimental basis for systematically elucidating the developmental toxicity of acetaminophen in testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China; Department of Orthopedic Surgery, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Sijia Chen
- Department of Pharmacology, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Ziyu Kong
- Department of Pharmacology, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China
| | - Yu Guo
- Department of Pharmacology, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
| | - Hui Wang
- Department of Pharmacology, TaiKang Medical School (School of Basic Medical Sciences), Wuhan University, Wuhan, 430071, China; Hubei Provincial Key Laboratory of Developmentally Originated Disease, Wuhan, 430071, China.
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19
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Li T, Jiang L, Zheng S, Qiu C, Zhao N, Lin X, Ren H, Huang J, Wang H, Qiu L. Organic anion transporting polypeptide 3a1 is a novel influx pump for Perfluorooctane sulfonate in Sertoli cells and contributes to its reproductive toxicity. Chemosphere 2023; 345:140428. [PMID: 37858765 DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2022] [Revised: 09/10/2023] [Accepted: 10/10/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Persistent organic pollutant perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) is strongly associated with male reproductive disorders, but the related mechanisms are still not fully understood. In this study, we used in vivo and in vitro models to explore the role of organic anion transporting polypeptide 3a1 (Oatp3a1) on PFOS-induced male reproductive injury. Thirty male C57BL/6 (B6) mice were orally given PFOS (0-10 mg/kg/bw) for 28 days. Body weight, organ index, sperm count, histology, and blood-testis barrier (BTB) integrity were evaluated. Primary Sertoli cells were used to describe the related molecular mechanisms of male reproductive injury caused by PFOS. Our results showed that PFOS induced a decrease in sperm count, morphological damage to testicular Sertoli cells, and disruption of BTB. In the in vitro model, exposure to PFOS significantly increased Oatp3a1 mRNA and protein levels and decreased miR-23a-3p expression in Sertoli cells, accompanied by reduced trans-epithelial electrical resistance (TEER) value. By performing the 14C-PFOS uptake experiment, we showed that 14C-PFOS uptake in HEK293-Oatp3a1 cells was apparently higher than in HEK293-MOCK cells. Meanwhile, treating Sertoli cells with Oatp3a1 siRNA significantly decreased Oatp3a1 expression and rescued PFOS-induced decreases in TEER value. As such, the present study highlights that Oatp3a1 may play an important role in the toxic effect of PFOS on Sertoli cells, advancing our understanding of molecular mechanisms for PFOS-induced male reproductive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ting Li
- School of Public Health, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Rd., Nantong, 226019, PR China
| | - Lianlian Jiang
- School of Public Health, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Rd., Nantong, 226019, PR China
| | - Shaokai Zheng
- School of Public Health, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Rd., Nantong, 226019, PR China
| | - Chong Qiu
- Medical School, Nantong University, 19 Qixiu Rd., Nantong, 226001, PR China
| | - Nannan Zhao
- School of Public Health, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Rd., Nantong, 226019, PR China
| | - Xiaojun Lin
- School of Public Health, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Rd., Nantong, 226019, PR China
| | - Hang Ren
- School of Public Health, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Rd., Nantong, 226019, PR China
| | - Jiyan Huang
- School of Public Health, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Rd., Nantong, 226019, PR China
| | - Hongxia Wang
- School of Public Health, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Rd., Nantong, 226019, PR China
| | - Lianglin Qiu
- School of Public Health, Nantong University, 9 Seyuan Rd., Nantong, 226019, PR China.
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20
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Liu L, Zhang M, Jiang F, Luo D, Liu S, Su Y, Guan Q, Yu C. High cholesterol diet-induced testicular dysfunction in rats. Hormones (Athens) 2023; 22:685-694. [PMID: 37596375 DOI: 10.1007/s42000-023-00472-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/20/2023] [Indexed: 08/20/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Hypercholesterolemia due to a high-cholesterol diet is linked to numerous diseases and may lead to male infertility. However, the underlying mechanism remains unknown. The maintenance of male fertility requires intact testicular structures (including seminiferous tubules and mesenchyme) and functioning cells (Leydig cells, Sertoli cells and germ cells, etc.), production of appropriate concentrations of sex hormones, and cooperation among testicular cells. Thus, we considered whether male fertility declined as the structure and function of testicular cells were altered in rats on a high-cholesterol diet. METHODS Male Sprague Dawley rats were fed either a standard or a high-cholesterol diet for 16 weeks. Serum sex hormones, lipid components, semen quality, and fertility rate were assayed in the rats. The 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), Wilms tumor 1 (WT-1), and deleted in azoospermia-like (DAZL) were regarded as specific markers of Leydig, Sertoli, and germ cells in rats. In addition, the ultrastructure of the testis and expression levels of particular marker molecules of testicular cells were further investigated. RESULTS Compared to rats fed on a regular diet, the serum testosterone levels and sperm progressive motility decreased in rats fed high cholesterol. Moreover, we observed a deformed nucleus, dilated smooth endoplasmic reticulum, and swollen mitochondria of Leydig cells and a schizolytic nucleus of Sertoli cells in rats on a high-cholesterol diet. The 3β-HSD, WT-1, and DAZL protein expression levels were significantly reduced in rats on a high-cholesterol diet. CONCLUSIONS Our results showed that a high-cholesterol diet adversely affected testosterone production and sperm progressive motility, possibly due to Leydig, Sertoli, and germ cell abnormalities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luna Liu
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic disease, Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Meijie Zhang
- Jing'an District Center Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai, 200433, China
| | - Fangjie Jiang
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
- Department of Rehabilitation, Xinhua Hospital affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, 200092, People's Republic of China
| | - Dandan Luo
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic disease, Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Shuang Liu
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic disease, Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Yu Su
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic disease, Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Qingbo Guan
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic disease, Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China
| | - Chunxiao Yu
- Key Laboratory of Endocrine Glucose & Lipids Metabolism and Brain Aging, Ministry of Education, Department of Endocrinology, Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Shandong University, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
- Shandong Key Laboratory of Endocrinology and Lipid Metabolism, Shandong Institute of Endocrine and Metabolic disease, Shandong Engineering Laboratory of Prevention and Control for Endocrine and Metabolic Diseases, Jinan, 250021, Shandong, China.
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21
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Fang X, Nie L, Putluri S, Ni N, Bartholin L, Li Q. Sertoli Cell-Specific Activation of Transforming Growth Factor Beta Receptor 1 Leads to Testicular Granulosa Cell Tumor Formation. Cells 2023; 12:2717. [PMID: 38067144 PMCID: PMC10706251 DOI: 10.3390/cells12232717] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2023] [Revised: 11/20/2023] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily, consisting of protein ligands, receptors, and intracellular SMAD transducers, regulates fundamental biological processes and cancer development. Our previous study has shown that sustained activation of TGFβ receptor 1 (TGFBR1) driven by anti-Mullerian hormone receptor type 2 (Amhr2)-Cre in the mouse testis induces the formation of testicular granulosa cell tumors (TGCTs). As Amhr2-Cre is expressed in both Sertoli cells and Leydig cells, it remains unclear whether the activation of TGFBR1 in Sertoli cells alone is sufficient to induce TGCT formation. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine whether Sertoli cell-activation of TGFBR1 drives oncogenesis in the testis. Our hypothesis was that overactivation of TGFBR1 in Sertoli cells would promote their transdifferentiation into granulosa-like cells and the formation of TGCTs. To test this hypothesis, we generated mice harboring constitutive activation of TGFBR1 in Sertoli cells using anti-Mullerian hormone (Amh)-Cre. Disorganized seminiferous tubules and tumor nodules were found in TGFBR1CA; Amh-Cre mice. A histological analysis showed that Sertoli cell-specific activation of TGFBR1 led to the development of neoplasms resembling granulosa cell tumors, which derailed spermatogenesis. Moreover, TGCTs expressed granulosa cell markers including FOXL2, FOXO1, and INHA. Using a dual fluorescence reporter line, the membrane-targeted tdTomato (mT)/membrane-targeted EGFP (mG) mouse, we provided evidence that Sertoli cells transdifferentiated toward a granulosa cell fate during tumorigenesis. Thus, our findings indicate that Sertoli cell-specific activation of TGFBR1 leads to the formation of TGCTs, supporting a key contribution of Sertoli cell reprogramming to the development of this testicular malignancy in our model.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xin Fang
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Linfeng Nie
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Satwikreddy Putluri
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Nan Ni
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
| | - Laurent Bartholin
- INSERM U1052, CNRS UMR5286, Centre de Recherche en Cancérologie de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, F-69000 Lyon, France
- Centre Léon Bérard, F-69008 Lyon, France
| | - Qinglei Li
- Department of Veterinary Integrative Biosciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA
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22
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Jin J, Li K, Du Y, Gao F, Wang Z, Li W. Multi-omics study identifies that PICK1 deficiency causes male infertility by inhibiting vesicle trafficking in Sertoli cells. Reprod Biol Endocrinol 2023; 21:114. [PMID: 38001535 PMCID: PMC10675906 DOI: 10.1186/s12958-023-01163-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/26/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Infertility affects approximately 10-15% of reproductive-age men worldwide, and genetic causes play a role in one-third of cases. As a Bin-Amphiphysin-Rvs (BAR) domain protein, protein interacting with C-kinase 1 (PICK1) deficiency could lead to impairment of acrosome maturation. However, its effects on auxiliary germ cells such as Sertoli cells are unknown. PURPOSE The present work was aimed to use multi-omics analysis to research the effects of PICK1 deficiency on Sertoli cells and to identify effective biomarkers to distinguish fertile males from infertile males caused by PICK1 deficiency. METHODS Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed on 20 infertility patients with oligozoospermia to identify pathogenic PICK1 mutations. Multi-omics analysis of a PICK1 knockout (KO) mouse model was utilized to identify pathogenic mechanism. Animal and cell function experiments of Sertoli cell-specific PICK1 KO mouse were performed to verify the functional impairment of Sertoli cells. RESULTS Two loss-of-function deletion mutations c.358delA and c.364delA in PICK1 resulting in transcription loss of BAR functional domain were identified in infertility patients with a specific decrease in serum inhibin B, indicating functional impairment of Sertoli cells. Multi-omics analysis of PICK1 KO mouse illustrated that targeted genes of differentially expressed microRNAs and mRNAs are significantly enriched in the negative regulatory role in the vesicle trafficking pathway, while metabolomics analysis showed that the metabolism of amino acids, lipids, cofactors, vitamins, and endocrine factors changed. The phenotype of PICK1 KO mouse showed a reduction in testis volume, a decreased number of mature spermatozoa and impaired secretory function of Sertoli cells. In vitro experiments confirmed that the expression of growth factors secreted by Sertoli cells in PICK1 conditional KO mouse such as Bone morphogenetic protein 4 (BMP4) and Fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) were decreased. CONCLUSIONS Our study attributed male infertility caused by PICK1 deficiency to impaired vesicle-related secretory function of Sertoli cells and identified a variety of significant candidate biomarkers for male infertility induced by PICK1 deficiency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Jin
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Zhejiang Center for Clinical Laboratories, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Kaiqiang Li
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Allergy Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yaoqiang Du
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Allergy Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Fang Gao
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Department of Reproductive Endocrinology, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310000, Zhejiang, China
| | - Zhen Wang
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Allergy Center, Department of Transfusion Medicine, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310000, Zhejiang, China.
| | - Weixing Li
- Laboratory Medicine Center, Zhejiang Center for Clinical Laboratories, Zhejiang Provincial People's Hospital (Affiliated People's Hospital), Hangzhou Medical College, Hangzhou, 310000, Zhejiang, China.
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23
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Gao L, Xiong X, Chen C, Luo P, Li J, Gao X, Huang L, Li L. The male reproductive toxicity after nanoplastics and microplastics exposure: Sperm quality and changes of different cells in testis. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2023; 267:115618. [PMID: 37939553 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.115618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 10/17/2023] [Accepted: 10/18/2023] [Indexed: 11/10/2023]
Abstract
Nanoplastics (NPs) and Microplastics (MPs) pollution has become a severe threat to the planet and is a growing concern. However, their effects on male reproductive toxicity remain poorly understood. In this study, a series of morphological analyses were completed to explore the influence of NPs and MPs exposure on the testis in mice. After 12-weeks exposure, although both NPs and MPs exposure can lead to reproductive toxicity, compared with NPs exposure, exposure to MPs leads to a more significant increase in reproductive toxicity dependent on some particle size. Moreover, increased reproductive toxicities, including increased spermatogenesis disorders, and sperm physiological abnormality, oxidative stress, testis inflammation was more associated with MPs group than NPs group. Ultra-pathological structure observed by transmission electron microscopy indicated that both NPs and MPs have different effects on spermatogonia, spermatocytes and Sertoli cells. Exposure to MPs resulted in decreased Sertoli cell numbers and reduced Leydig cell area, and showed no effects on differentiation of Leydig cells by the expression level of the Insulin-Like factor 3 (INSL3) in Leydig cells. Transcriptomic sequencing analysis provided valuable insights into the differential effects of NPs and MPs on cellular processes. Specifically, our findings demonstrated that NPs were predominantly involved in the regulation of steroid biosynthesis, whereas MPs primarily influenced amino acid metabolism. This study demonstrates the effect of adult-stage reproductive toxicity in mice after exposure to NPs and MPs, which will deep the understanding of the NPs and MPs induced toxicity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Likun Gao
- Department of Pathology, Shenzhen People's Hospital, the Second Clinical Medical College of Jinan University, Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Xi Xiong
- Department of Urology, Wuhan Third Hospital, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of science and Technology, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Chen Chen
- Department of Urology, Wuhan Third Hospital, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of science and Technology, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Pengcheng Luo
- Department of Urology, Wuhan Third Hospital, School of Medicine, Wuhan University of science and Technology, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Jing Li
- Department of Pharmacy, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Xiang Gao
- Central Laboratory, Scientific Research Department, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China.
| | - Lizhi Huang
- School of Civil Engineering, Wuhan University, Wuhan 430072, China.
| | - Lili Li
- Central Laboratory, Scientific Research Department, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan 430060, China.
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24
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Centola CL, Dasso ME, Soria JD, Riera MF, Meroni SB, Galardo MN. Glycolysis as key regulatory step in FSH-induced rat Sertoli cell proliferation: Role of the mTORC1 pathway. Biochimie 2023; 214:145-156. [PMID: 37442535 DOI: 10.1016/j.biochi.2023.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2023] [Revised: 06/09/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023]
Abstract
The definitive number of Sertoli cells (SCs), achieved during the proliferative periods, defines the spermatogenic capacity in adulthood. It is recognized that FSH is the main mitogen targeting SC and that it exerts its action, at least partly, through the activation of the PI3K/Akt/mTORC1 pathway. mTORC1 controls a large number of cellular functions, including glycolysis and cell proliferation. Interestingly, recent evidence revealed that the glycolytic flux might modulate mTORC1 activity and, consequently, cell cycle progression. Although mature SC metabolism has been thoroughly studied, several aspects of metabolism regulation in proliferating SC are still to be elucidated. The objective of this study was to explore whether aerobic glycolysis is regulated by FSH through mTORC1 pathway in proliferating SC, and to assess the involvement of glycolysis in the regulation of SC proliferation. The present study was carried out utilizing 8-day-old rat SC cultures. The results obtained show that FSH enhances glycolytic flux through the induction of 6-phosphofructo-2-kinase/fructose-2,6-bisphosphatase 3 (PFKFB3) and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) in an mTORC1 dependent manner. In addition, PFKFB3 and LDH inhibitors prevent FSH from activating mTORC1 and stimulating SC proliferation and glycolysis, presumably through mTORC1 pathway inhibition. In summary, FSH simultaneously regulates SC proliferation and glycolysis in an mTORC1 dependent manner, and glycolysis seems to cooperate with FSH in the stimulation of both cellular functions through the modulation of the same signalling pathway. Therefore, a positive feedback between the mTORC1 pathway and glycolysis triggered by FSH is hypothesized.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cecilia Lucia Centola
- Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergadá" (CEDIE) CONICET - FEI - División de Endocrinología, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Gallo 1330, C1425EFD, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Marina Ercilia Dasso
- Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergadá" (CEDIE) CONICET - FEI - División de Endocrinología, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Gallo 1330, C1425EFD, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Julio Daniel Soria
- Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergadá" (CEDIE) CONICET - FEI - División de Endocrinología, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Gallo 1330, C1425EFD, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria Fernanda Riera
- Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergadá" (CEDIE) CONICET - FEI - División de Endocrinología, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Gallo 1330, C1425EFD, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Silvina Beatriz Meroni
- Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergadá" (CEDIE) CONICET - FEI - División de Endocrinología, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Gallo 1330, C1425EFD, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Maria Noel Galardo
- Centro de Investigaciones Endocrinológicas "Dr. César Bergadá" (CEDIE) CONICET - FEI - División de Endocrinología, Hospital de Niños Ricardo Gutiérrez, Gallo 1330, C1425EFD, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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25
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Hüneke H, Langeheine M, Rode K, Jung K, Pilatz A, Fietz D, Kliesch S, Brehm R. Effects of a Sertoli cell-specific knockout of Connexin43 on maturation and proliferation of postnatal Sertoli cells. Differentiation 2023; 134:31-51. [PMID: 37839230 DOI: 10.1016/j.diff.2023.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Adult male Sertoli cell-specific Connexin43 knockout mice (SCCx43KO) exhibit higher Sertoli cell (SC) numbers per seminiferous tubule compared to their wild type (WT) littermates. Thus, deletion of this testicular gap junction protein seems to affect the proliferative potential and differentiation of "younger" SC. Although SC have so far mostly been characterised as postmitotic cells that cease to divide and become an adult, terminally differentiated cell population at around puberty, there is rising evidence that there exist exceptions from this for a very long time accepted paradigm. Aim of this study was to investigate postnatal SC development and to figure out underlying causes for observed higher SC numbers in adult KO mice. Therefore, the amount of SC mitotic figures was compared, resulting in slightly more and prolonged detection of SC mitotic figures in KO mice compared to WT. SC counting per tubular cross section revealed significantly different time curves, and comparing proliferation rates using Bromodesoxyuridine and Sox9 showed higher proliferation rates in 8-day old KO mice. SC proliferation was further investigated by Ki67 immunohistochemistry. SC in KO mice displayed a delayed initiation of cell-cycle-inhibitor p27Kip1 synthesis and prolonged synthesis of the phosphorylated tumour suppressor pRb and proliferation marker Ki67. Thus, the higher SC numbers in adult male SCCx43KO mice may arise due to two different reasons: Firstly, in prepubertal KO mice, the proliferation rate of SC was higher. Secondly, there were differences in their ability to cease proliferation as shown by the delayed initiation of p27Kip1 synthesis and the prolonged production of phosphorylated pRb and Ki67. Immunohistochemical results indicating a prolonged period of SC proliferation in SCCx43KO were confirmed by detection of proliferating SC in 17-days-old KO mice. In conclusion, deletion of the testicular gap junction protein Cx43 might prevent normal SC maturation and might even alter also the proliferation potential of adult SC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanna Hüneke
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Marion Langeheine
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Kristina Rode
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Klaus Jung
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany
| | - Adrian Pilatz
- Department of Urology, Pediatric Urology and Andrology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Daniela Fietz
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, Histology and Embryology, Justus Liebig University Giessen, Giessen, Germany
| | - Sabine Kliesch
- Centre of Andrology and Reproductive Medicine, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany
| | - Ralph Brehm
- Institute of Anatomy, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Foundation, Hannover, Germany.
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Wang K, Kong F, Qiu Y, Chen T, Fu J, Jin X, Su Y, Gu Y, Hu Z, Li J. Autophagy regulation and protein kinase activity of PIK3C3 controls sertoli cell polarity through its negative regulation on SCIN (scinderin). Autophagy 2023; 19:2934-2957. [PMID: 37450577 PMCID: PMC10549198 DOI: 10.1080/15548627.2023.2235195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Sertoli cells are highly polarized testicular cells that provide a nurturing environment for germ cell development and maturation during spermatogenesis. The class III phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PtdIns3K) plays core roles in macroautophagy in various cell types; however, its role in Sertoli cells remains unclear. Here, we generated a mouse line in which the gene encoding the catalytic subunit, Pik3c3, was specifically deleted in Sertoli cells (cKO) and found that after one round of normal spermatogenesis, the cKO mice quickly became infertile and showed disruption of Sertoli cell polarity and impaired spermiogenesis. Subsequent proteomics and phosphoproteomics analyses enriched the F-actin cytoskeleton network involved in the disorganized Sertoli-cell structure in cKO testis which we identified a significant increase of the F-actin negative regulator SCIN (scinderin) and the reduced phosphorylation of HDAC6, an α-tubulin deacetylase. Our results further demonstrated that the accumulation of SCIN in cKO Sertoli cells caused the disorder and disassembly of the F-actin cytoskeleton, which was related to the failure of SCIN degradation through the autophagy-lysosome pathway. Additionally, we found that the phosphorylation of HDAC6 at site S59 by PIK3C3 was essential for its degradation through the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. As a result, the HDAC6 that accumulated in cKO Sertoli cells deacetylated SCIN at site K189 and led to a disorganized F-actin cytoskeleton. Taken together, our findings elucidate a new mechanism for PIK3C3 in maintaining the polarity of Sertoli cells, in which both its autophagy regulation or protein kinase activities are required for the stabilization of the actin cytoskeleton.Abbreviations: ACTB: actin, beta; AR: androgen receptor; ATG14: autophagy related 14; BafA1: bafilomycin A1; BECN1: beclin 1, autophagy related; BTB: blood-testis barrier; CASP3: caspase 3; CDC42: cell division cycle 42; CDH2: cadherin 2; CHX: cycloheximide; CTNNA1: catenin (cadherin associated protein), alpha 1; CYP11A1: cytochrome P450, family 11, subfamily A, polypeptide 1; EBSS: Earle's balanced salt solution; ES: ectoplasmic specialization; FITC: fluorescein isothiocyanate; GAPDH: glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase; GCNA: germ cell nuclear acidic protein; GJA1: gap junction protein, alpha 1; H2AX: H2A.X variant histone; HDAC6: histone deacetylase 6; KIT: KIT proto-oncogene, receptor tyrosine kinase; LAMP1: lysosomal associated membrane protein 1; MAP3K5: mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase kinase 5; MAP1LC3B: microtubule associated protein 1 light chain 3 beta; OCLN: occludin; PIK3C3: phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase catalytic subunit type 3; PIK3R4: phosphoinositide-3-kinase regulatory subunit 4; PNA: arachis hypogaea lectin; RAC1: Rac family small GTPase 1; SCIN: scinderin; SQSTM1/p62: sequestosome 1; SSC: spermatogonia stem cell; STK11: serine/threonine kinase 11; TJP1: tight junction protein 1; TubA: tubastatin A; TUBB3: tubulin beta 3 class III; TUNEL: TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling; UB: ubiquitin; UVRAG: UV radiation resistance associated gene; VIM: vimentin; WT1: WT1 transcription factor; ZBTB16: zinc finger and BTB domain containing 16.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kehan Wang
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Feifei Kong
- Assisted Reproduction Unit, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China
| | - Yuexin Qiu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Tao Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jiayi Fu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Xin Jin
- Department of Center of Reproductive Medicine, Wuxi Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital, Nanjing Medical University, Wuxi, Jiangsu, China
| | - Youqiang Su
- Shandong Provincial Key Laboratory of Animal Cells and Developmental Biology, School of Life Sciences, Shandong University, Qingdao, Shandong, China
| | - Yayun Gu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Zhibin Hu
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
- Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, International Joint Research Center on Environment and Human Health, Center for Global Health, School of Public Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
| | - Jing Li
- State Key Laboratory of Reproductive Medicine and Offspring Health, Nanjing Medical University, Nanjing, Jiangsu, China
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Nong W, Wei G, Wang J, Lei X, Wang J, Wei Y, Dong M, He L. Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Improves Spermatogenic Disorders in Aluminum-Exposed Rats by Modulating the Glycolytic Pathway. Biol Trace Elem Res 2023:10.1007/s12011-023-03904-9. [PMID: 37851298 DOI: 10.1007/s12011-023-03904-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/02/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023]
Abstract
This study aimed to investigate the protective effect of nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN) on testicular spermatogenesis in aluminum chloride (AlCl3)-exposed rats and to elucidate the potential underlying mechanism. The results indicated that AlCl3-induced testicular damage, leading to reduced sperm quality, increased apoptosis, decreased cell proliferation, and impaired Sertoli cell function in rats. Additionally, glycolytic metabolism was observed to be hindered. However, after NMN treatment, there was a noticeable improvement in testicular damage among the rats, marked by increased sperm quality, reduced apoptosis, enhanced cell proliferation, improved Sertoli cell function, and an activated glycolytic metabolism. The findings of this study suggest that NMN alleviates testicular spermatogenesis impairment induced by AlCl3 exposure through the inhibition of spermatogenic cell apoptosis, promotion of spermatogenic cell proliferation, and activation of glycolytic pathways. The study contributes an experimental foundation for potential future clinical applications of NMN in cases of AlCl3-exposed spermatogenic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weihua Nong
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Zhongshan Second Road, Baise, 533300, Guangxi, China
- Reproductive Medicine, Guangxi Medical and Health Key Discipline Construction Project of the Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
- Modern Industrial College of Biomedicine and Great Health, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Chengxiang Road 98, Baise, 533300, Guangxi, China
| | - Gaomeng Wei
- Department of Urology, The Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Junli Wang
- Reproductive Medicine, Guangxi Medical and Health Key Discipline Construction Project of the Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Baise, China
| | - Xiaocan Lei
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Clinical Anatomy & Reproductive Medicine Application Institute, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Jinyuan Wang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Clinical Anatomy & Reproductive Medicine Application Institute, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, China
| | - Yanhong Wei
- Modern Industrial College of Biomedicine and Great Health, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Chengxiang Road 98, Baise, 533300, Guangxi, China
| | - Mingyou Dong
- Modern Industrial College of Biomedicine and Great Health, Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Chengxiang Road 98, Baise, 533300, Guangxi, China.
| | - Liqiao He
- Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, The Affiliated Hospital of Youjiang Medical University for Nationalities, Zhongshan Second Road, Baise, 533300, Guangxi, China.
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Kaur S, Bredella MA, Misra M, Singhal V. Trajectory of Gonadal Hormones in Adolescent Males up to 2 Years After Sleeve Gastrectomy. Obes Surg 2023; 33:3323-3326. [PMID: 37561269 DOI: 10.1007/s11695-023-06759-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2023] [Revised: 07/15/2023] [Accepted: 07/25/2023] [Indexed: 08/11/2023]
Abstract
Sleeve gastrectomy (SG) has many metabolic benefits and leads to improvements in testosterone levels, which means improvement in the Leydig cell function of the testis. However, data about the effects of SG on Sertoli cell function (as assessed by inhibin B) are not available. In this preliminary study, we evaluate, for the first time, the effect of SG in adolescents after SG. We evaluate 16 adolescent and young adult males, six of whom underwent SG and followed them for 2 years. We report that Leydig cell function (as assessed by testosterone levels) improved and was associated with degree of weight loss. Sertoli cell function improved only slightly in SG group and did not change compared to the nonsurgical controls, and these changes were not associated with degree of weight loss. Thus, we conclude that larger and long-term follow-up studies are required to evaluate the changes in Sertoli cell function after SG as that is integral to male fertility.Clinical Trial Registration: NCT02557438.
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Affiliation(s)
- Snimarjot Kaur
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Miriam A Bredella
- Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Madhusmita Misra
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA
| | - Vibha Singhal
- Neuroendocrine Unit, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- Division of Pediatric Endocrinology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, 101 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
- MGH Weight Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, 101 Merrimac Street, Boston, MA, 02114, USA.
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29
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Hashemi Karoii D, Azizi H, Skutella T. Altered G-Protein Transduction Protein Gene Expression in the Testis of Infertile Patients with Nonobstructive Azoospermia. DNA Cell Biol 2023; 42:617-637. [PMID: 37610843 DOI: 10.1089/dna.2023.0189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Recent studies have shown that several members of the G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) superfamily play crucial roles in the maintenance of ion-water homeostasis of the sperm and Sertoli cells, development of the germ cells, formation of the blood barrier, and maturation of sperm. The GPCR, guanyl-nucleotide exchange factor, membrane traffic protein, and small GTPase genes were analyzed by microarray and bioinformatics (3513 sperm and Sertoli cell genes). In the microarray analyses of three human cases with different nonobstructive azoospermia sperm, the expression of GOLGA8IP, OR2AT4, PHKA1, A2M, OR56A1, SEMA3G, LRRC17, APP, ARHGAP33, RABGEF1, NPY2R, GHRHR, LTB4R2, GRIK5, OR6K6, NAPG, OR6C65, VPS35, FPR3, and ARL4A was upregulated, while expression of MARS, SIRPG, OGFR, GPR150, LRRK1, and NGEF was downregulated. There was an increase in GBP3, GBP3, TNF, TGFB3, and CLTC expression in the Sertoli cells of three human cases with NOA, whereas expression of PAQR4, RRAGD, RAC2, SERPINB8, IRPB1, MRGPRF, RASA2, SIRPG, RGS2, RAP2A, RAB2B, ARL17, SERINC4, XIAP, DENND4C, ANKRA2, CSTA, STX18, and SNAP23 were downregulated. A combined analysis of Enrich Shiny Gene Ontology (GO), STRING, and Cytoscape was used to predict proteins' molecular interactions and then to recognize master pathways. Functional enrichment analysis showed that the biological process (BP), regulation of protein metabolic process, regulation of small GTPase-mediated signal transduction were significantly expressed in up-/downregulated differentially expressed genes (DEGs) in sperm. In molecular function (MF) experiments of DEGs that were up-/downregulated, it was found that GPCR activity, guanyl ribonucleotide binding, GTPase activity and nucleoside-triphosphatase activity were overexpressed. An analysis of GO enrichment findings of Sertoli cells showed BP and MF to be common DEGs. When these gene mutations have been validated, they can be used to create new GPCR antagonists or agonists that are receptor-selective.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danial Hashemi Karoii
- Department of Cell and Molecular Biology, School of Biology, College of Science, University of Tehran, Tehran, Iran
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran
| | - Hossein Azizi
- Faculty of Biotechnology, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran
| | - Thomas Skutella
- Medical Faculty, Institute for Anatomy and Cell Biology, University of Heidelberg, Heidelberg, Germany
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30
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Huang J, Lu H, Du J, Zhang L, Wei J, Huang Q, Wu S, Zhou X, Ren L. Effects of exposure to PM 2.5 during pregnancy on the multigenerational reproductive outcomes of male mouse offspring and the role of Sertoli cells. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:103823-103835. [PMID: 37697192 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-29751-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/03/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
There is a paucity of studies on the multigenerational reproductive toxicity of fine particle matter (PM2.5) exposure during pregnancy on male offspring and the underlying mechanisms. This study explored the effects of PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy on the spermatogenesis of three consecutive generations of male mouse offspring. We randomized pregnant C57BL/6 mice into the control group, the Quartz Fiber Membrane control group, and two experimental groups exposed to different concentrations of PM2.5 (4.8 and 43.2 mg/kg B.Wt.). Pregnant mice from experimental groups received intratracheal instillation of PM2.5 of different doses on a three-day basis until birth. F1 mature male offspring from PM2.5-exposed pregnant mice were mated with normal female C57BL/6 mice. Likewise, their F2 mature male followed the same to produce the F3 generation. The results showed that PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy led to decreased body and tail length, body weight, and survival rates, decreased sperm concentration and sperm motility, and increased sperm abnormality rates significantly in F1 male offspring. We barely observed significant impacts of PM2.5 on the birth number, survival rates, and index of testes in the F2 and F3 offspring. Further exploration showed that PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy caused the morphological abnormality of Sertoli cells, downregulated androgen receptor (AR) and connexin43, upregulated anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH), cytokeratin-18 (CK-18), caspase-3, and cleaved caspase-3, decreased thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and testosterone (T), and increased triiodothyronine (T3) in F1 male mouse offspring. Overall, we hypothesize that PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy mainly negatively impacts spermatogenesis in the F1 offspring. The possible mechanism could be that PM2.5 exposure during pregnancy disrupts endocrine hormone release in the F1 generation, thereby influencing the maturation and proliferation of their Sertoli cells and hindering spermatogenesis. This study for the first time investigates the role of Sertoli cells in the reproductive toxicity of PM2.5 on offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jing Huang
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Hong Lu
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Jiwei Du
- Nursing Department, The University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital, Shenzhen, 518040, China
| | - Lianshuang Zhang
- Department of Histology and Embryology, Binzhou Medical University, Yan Tai, 264003, China
| | - Jialiu Wei
- Department of Epidemiology, State Key Laboratory of Cardiovascular Disease, Fuwai Hospital, National Centre for Cardiovascular Diseases, Chinese Academy of Medical Science and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, 100037, China
| | - Qifang Huang
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China
| | - Shaowei Wu
- School of Public Health, Xi'an Jiaotong University Health Science Centre, Xi'an, China
| | - Xianqing Zhou
- School of Public Health, Capital Medical University, Beijing, 10069, China
| | - Lihua Ren
- School of Nursing, Peking University, Beijing, 100191, China.
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Rossi SP, Matzkin ME, Riviere E, Martinez G, Ponzio R, Levalle O, Terradas C, Calandra RS, Frungieri MB. Melatonin improves oxidative state and lactate metabolism in rodent Sertoli cells. Mol Cell Endocrinol 2023; 576:112034. [PMID: 37516434 DOI: 10.1016/j.mce.2023.112034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Revised: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/31/2023]
Abstract
Antioxidant actions of melatonin and its impact on testicular function and fertility have already been described. Considering that Sertoli cells contribute to provide structural support and nutrition to germ cells, we evaluated the effect of melatonin on oxidative state and lactate metabolism in the immature murine TM4 cell line and in immature hamster Sertoli cells. A prooxidant stimulus applied to rodent Sertoli cells expressing MT1/MT2 receptors, increased lipid peroxidation whereas decreased antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase 1, catalase, peroxiredoxin 1) expression and catalase activity. These changes were prevented by melatonin. Furthermore, melatonin stimulated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) expression/activity via melatonin receptors, and increased intracellular lactate production in rodent Sertoli cells. Interestingly, oral melatonin supplementation in infertile men positively regulated LDHA testicular mRNA expression. Overall, our work provides insights into the potential benefits of melatonin on Sertoli cells contributing to testicular development and the future establishment of a sustainable spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soledad P Rossi
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Bioquímica Humana, Cátedra 1, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, 1121, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina.
| | - María E Matzkin
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Departamento de Bioquímica Humana, Cátedra 1, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, 1121, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Eugenia Riviere
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Gustavo Martinez
- Fertilis, Av. Fondo de la Legua 277, B1609JEC, San Isidro, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Roberto Ponzio
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Reproducción, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, 1121, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Oscar Levalle
- División Endocrinología, Hospital Durand, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Díaz Vélez 5044, 1405, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Claudio Terradas
- División Endocrinología, Hospital Durand, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Díaz Vélez 5044, 1405, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Ricardo S Calandra
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - Mónica B Frungieri
- Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Vuelta de Obligado 2490, 1428, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, Argentina; Cátedra de Química, Ciclo Básico Común, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Ciudad de Buenos Aires, C1405CAE, Argentina
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32
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Lesné L, Desdoits-Lethimonier C, Hug E, Costet N, Raffenne L, Toupin M, Evrard B, Kugathas I, Lavoué V, Chalmel F, Jégou B, Mazaud-Guittot S. Antiepileptic drugs are endocrine disruptors for the human fetal testis ex vivo. Toxicol Sci 2023; 195:169-183. [PMID: 37505509 DOI: 10.1093/toxsci/kfad076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Valproic acid (VPA) has long been the most widely used antiepileptic drug (AED) for the treatment of epilepsy, bipolar psychiatric disorders, and migraine. However, long-term VPA treatment has several adverse effects on the male reproductive system notably on endocrine functions and/or spermatic parameters. In utero exposure of the fetus to VPA is well known to be associated with a higher risk of several congenital malformations including those of male reproductive organs. Subsequent generations of AEDs, such as carbamazepine (CARB) and lamotrigine (LAM), are considered safer and are currently recommended for women of child-bearing age with epilepsy. Because anomalies of the male genital tract mostly result from endocrine imbalance during fetal life, we hypothesized that AEDs could directly impair testis differentiation. We thus aimed at identifying and characterizing the effects of VPA, CARB, and LAM on the differentiation and function of the different testicular cell types, and at understanding the mechanisms underlying these effects. By using ex vivo culture of first-trimester human fetal testes, we show that VPA induces multiple endocrine disruptive effects, compared with the milder ones caused by CARB and LAM. AED also subtly altered the germ cell lineage in distinct manners. Transcriptomic analysis of VPA-induced alterations highlighted a very broad range of effects on the fetal testis. Overall, our results show that AEDs can behave as endocrine disruptors for the human fetal testis ex vivo. This is consistent with, and likely underlies, the VPA-induced male genital tract masculinization abnormalities observed in patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurianne Lesné
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Christèle Desdoits-Lethimonier
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Elisa Hug
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Nathalie Costet
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Léo Raffenne
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Maryne Toupin
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Bertrand Evrard
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Indusha Kugathas
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Vincent Lavoué
- Univ Rennes, CHU Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Frédéric Chalmel
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
| | - Bernard Jégou
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
- EHESP-School of Public Health, 35043 Rennes, France
| | - Séverine Mazaud-Guittot
- Univ Rennes, Inserm, EHESP, Irset (Institut de recherche en santé, environnement et travail)-UMR_S 1085, 35000 Rennes, France
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Inoue T, Aoyama-Ishikawa M, Uemura M, Kohama K, Fujisaki N, Murakami H, Yamada T, Hirata J. The role of death receptor signaling pathways in mouse Sertoli cell avoidance of apoptosis during LPS- and IL-18-induced inflammatory conditions. J Reprod Immunol 2023; 158:103970. [PMID: 37263030 DOI: 10.1016/j.jri.2023.103970] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2023] [Revised: 05/07/2023] [Accepted: 05/24/2023] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) triggers infectious acute inflammation, and interleukin (IL)-18 is an inflammasome-mediated cytokine. We previously demonstrated that endogenous IL-18 induces testicular germ cell apoptosis during acute inflammation when plasma IL-18 levels are high. Additionally, high-dose recombinant IL-18 (rIL-18) induced Leydig cell apoptosis. The blood-testis barrier formed by Sertoli cells protects testicular germ cells from both exogenous and endogenous harmful substances. However, the impact of LPS and IL-18 on Sertoli cells remained unclear. We stimulated TM4 cells, a mouse Sertoli cell line, with LPS (200 or 1000 ng/mL) or rIL-18 (0.1-100 ng/mL) at levels that induced Leydig cell apoptosis in our previous study and assessed caspase 3 cleavage and the mRNA expression of inflammatory cytokines and markers of apoptotic pathways (Tnfr1, Fasl, Fas, Fadd) after stimulation. Il6 mRNA was increased by LPS stimulation. Tnfα mRNA was increased by 200 ng/mL LPS but not 1000 ng/mL LPS. Fas was increased, but Fasl was decreased, by LPS. LPS had little influence on Tnfr1 or Fadd mRNA expression and did not induce apoptosis. Il18 mRNA was not increased, and Il18r1 was significantly decreased following LPS treatment. Treatment with rIL-18 increased Il18r1 mRNA and induced inflammation, but decreased Tnfr1 and had little influence on apoptosis, as indicated by Tnfα, Fasl, Fas, Fadd and cleaved caspase 3. These results suggested that Sertoli cells do not easily undergo apoptosis despite strong inflammatory stimuli. Additionally, Sertoli cells may resist inflammation and play a larger role in protecting testicular homeostasis than other component cells of the testis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Taketo Inoue
- Department of Emergency, Disaster and Critical Care Medicine, Hyogo Medical University, 1-1, Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Hyogo, Japan; Department of Rehabilitation Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 7-10-2, Tomogaoka, Suma-ku, Kobe 654-0142, Hyogo, Japan.
| | - Michiko Aoyama-Ishikawa
- Department of Emergency, Disaster and Critical Care Medicine, Hyogo Medical University, 1-1, Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Mikiko Uemura
- Department of Rehabilitation Science, Kobe University Graduate School of Health Sciences, 7-10-2, Tomogaoka, Suma-ku, Kobe 654-0142, Hyogo, Japan; Department of Rehabilitation, Faculty of Health Science, Kansai University of Welfare Sciences, 3-11-1, Asahigaoka, Kashiwara, 582-0026 Osaka, Japan
| | - Keisuke Kohama
- Department of Emergency, Disaster and Critical Care Medicine, Hyogo Medical University, 1-1, Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Noritomo Fujisaki
- Department of Emergency, Disaster and Critical Care Medicine, Hyogo Medical University, 1-1, Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Hyogo, Japan; Department of Emergency Medicine, Hiroshima City Hiroshima Citizens Hospital, 7-33, Motomachi, Naka-ku, Hiroshima, 730-8518 Hiroshima, Japan
| | - Hiromoto Murakami
- Department of Emergency, Disaster and Critical Care Medicine, Hyogo Medical University, 1-1, Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Taihei Yamada
- Department of Emergency, Disaster and Critical Care Medicine, Hyogo Medical University, 1-1, Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Hyogo, Japan
| | - Junichi Hirata
- Department of Emergency, Disaster and Critical Care Medicine, Hyogo Medical University, 1-1, Mukogawa-cho, Nishinomiya 663-8501, Hyogo, Japan
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34
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Su J, Yang Y, Zhao F, Zhang Y, Su H, Wang D, Li K, Song Y, Cao G. Study of spermatogenic and Sertoli cells in the Hu sheep testes at different developmental stages. FASEB J 2023; 37:e23084. [PMID: 37410073 DOI: 10.1096/fj.202300373r] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Spermatogenesis is a highly organized process by which undifferentiated spermatogonia self-renew and differentiate into spermatocytes and spermatids. The entire developmental process from spermatogonia to sperm occurs within the seminiferous tubules. Spermatogenesis is supported by the close interaction of germ cells with Sertoli cells. In this study, testicular tissues were collected from Hu sheep at 8 timepoints after birth: 0, 30, 90, 180, 270, 360, 540, and 720 days. Immunofluorescence staining and histological analysis were used to explore the development of male germ cells and Sertoli cells in the Hu sheep testes at these timepoints. The changes in seminiferous tubule diameter and male germ cells in the Hu sheep testes at these different developmental stages were analyzed. Then, specific molecular markers were used to study the proliferation and differentiation of spermatogonia, the timepoint of spermatocyte appearance, and the maturation and proliferation of Sertoli cells in the seminiferous tubules. Finally, the formation of the blood-testes barrier was studied using antibodies against the main components of the blood-testes barrier, β-catenin, and ZO-1. These findings not only increased the understanding of the development of the Hu sheep testes, but also laid a solid theoretical foundation for Hu sheep breeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jie Su
- Department of Psychosomatic Medicine, Inner Mongolia Medical University, Huhhot, China
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Basic Veterinary Science, Inner Mongolia Agriculture University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yanyan Yang
- Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Sciences, Huhhot, China
| | - Feifei Zhao
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Basic Veterinary Science, Inner Mongolia Agriculture University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yue Zhang
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Basic Veterinary Science, Inner Mongolia Agriculture University, Hohhot, China
| | - Hong Su
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Basic Veterinary Science, Inner Mongolia Agriculture University, Hohhot, China
| | - Daqing Wang
- Inner Mongolia Academy of Agricultural & Animal Husbandry Sciences, Huhhot, China
| | - Kuo Li
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Basic Veterinary Science, Inner Mongolia Agriculture University, Hohhot, China
| | - Yongli Song
- Research Center for Animal Genetic Resources of Mongolia Plateau, Inner Mongolia University, Huhhot, China
| | - Guifang Cao
- Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Basic Veterinary Science, Inner Mongolia Agriculture University, Hohhot, China
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35
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Lai DKH, Cheng ESW, Mao YJ, Zheng Y, Yao KY, Ni M, Zhang YQ, Wong DWC, Cheung JCW. Sonoelastography for Testicular Tumor Identification: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Diagnostic Test Accuracy. Cancers (Basel) 2023; 15:3770. [PMID: 37568585 PMCID: PMC10417060 DOI: 10.3390/cancers15153770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2023] [Revised: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 07/21/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this review was to summarize the applications of sonoelastography in testicular tumor identification and inquire about their test performances. Two authors independently searched English journal articles and full conference papers from CINAHL, Embase, IEEE Xplore®, PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science from inception and organized them into a PIRO (patient, index test, reference test, outcome) framework. Eleven studies (n = 11) were eligible for data synthesis, nine of which (n = 9) utilized strain elastography and two (n = 2) employed shear-wave elastography. Meta-analyses were performed on the distinction between neoplasm (tumor) and non-neoplasm (non-tumor) from four study arms and between malignancy and benignity from seven study arms. The pooled sensitivity of classifying malignancy and benignity was 86.0% (95%CI, 79.7% to 90.6%). There was substantial heterogeneity in the classification of neoplasm and non-neoplasm and in the specificity of classifying malignancy and benignity, which could not be addressed by the subgroup analysis of sonoelastography techniques. Heterogeneity might be associated with the high risk of bias and applicability concern, including a wide spectrum of testicular pathologies and verification bias in the reference tests. Key technical obstacles in the index test were manual compression in strain elastography, qualitative observation of non-standardized color codes, and locating the Regions of Interest (ROI), in addition to decisions in feature extractions. Future research may focus on multiparametric sonoelastography using deep learning models and ensemble learning. A decision model on the benefits-risks of surgical exploration (reference test) could also be developed to direct the test-and-treat strategy for testicular tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Derek Ka-Hei Lai
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ethan Shiu-Wang Cheng
- Department of Electronic and Information Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ye-Jiao Mao
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Yi Zheng
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - Ke-Yu Yao
- Department of Materials, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK
| | - Ming Ni
- Department of Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
- Laboratory of Prevention and Treatment of Bone and Joint Diseases, Shanghai Institute of Traumatology and Orthopaedics, Ruijin Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240, China
| | - Ying-Qi Zhang
- Department of Orthopaedics, Tongji Hospital, School of Medicine, Tongji University, Shanghai 200065, China
| | - Duo Wai-Chi Wong
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
| | - James Chung-Wai Cheung
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
- Research Institute of Smart Ageing, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
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36
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Corpuz-Hilsabeck M, Mohajer N, Culty M. Dysregulation of Immature Sertoli Cell Functions by Exposure to Acetaminophen and Genistein in Rodent Cell Models. Cells 2023; 12:1804. [PMID: 37443838 PMCID: PMC10340629 DOI: 10.3390/cells12131804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 07/03/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Sertoli cells are essential for germ cell development and function. Their disruption by endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) or drugs could jeopardize spermatogenesis, contributing to male infertility. Perinatal exposure to EDCs and acetaminophen (APAP) disrupts male reproductive functions in animals and humans. Infants can be exposed simultaneously to the dietary soy phytoestrogen genistein (GEN) and APAP used for fever or pain relief. Our goal was to determine the effects of 10-100 µM APAP and GEN, alone or mixed, on immature Sertoli cells using mouse TM4 Sertoli cell line and postnatal-day 8 rat Sertoli cells, by measuring cell viability, proliferation, prostaglandins, genes and protein expression, and functional pathways. A value of 50 µM APAP decreased the viability, while 100 µM APAP and GEN decreased the proliferation. Sertoli cell and eicosanoid pathway genes were affected by GEN and mixtures, with downregulation of Sox9, Cox1, Cox2, and genes relevant for Sertoli cell function, while genes involved in inflammation were increased. RNA-seq analysis identified p53 and TNF signaling pathways as common targets of GEN and GEN mixture in both cell types. These results suggest that APAP and GEN dysregulate immature Sertoli cell function and may aid in elucidating novel EDC and drug targets contributing to the etiology of male infertility.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Martine Culty
- Department of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences, Alfred E. Mann School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA 90089, USA
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Lu M, Liu Y. Toxicity of methomyl insecticides to testicular cells and protective effect of folic acid. Toxicol Ind Health 2023:7482337221140221. [PMID: 37409447 DOI: 10.1177/07482337221140221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
Methomyl is a carbamate insecticide with confirmed testicular toxicity. This study intended to observe the effect of methomyl on testicular cells and the protective effect of folic acid through in vitro experiments. The GC-1 spermatogonia, TM4 Sertoli cells, and TM3 Leydig cells were treated with methomyl (0, 250, 500, and 1000 μM) with or without folic acid (0, 10, 100, and 1000 nM) for 24 h. It was found that methomyl increased cytotoxicity to testicular cells in a dose-dependent manner. In spermatogonia, methomyl significantly inhibited the expression of proliferation genes Ki67 and PCNA at 1000 μM, and increased the expression of apoptosis genes Caspase3 and Bax at each dose. In Sertoli cells, methomyl dose-dependently inhibited the expression of blood-testis barrier function genes TJP1, Cx43, and N-cadherin, but did not affect Occludin and E-cadherin. In Leydig cells, methomyl inhibited the expression of steroid synthase P450scc, StAR, Hsd3b1 and down-regulated the level of testosterone, but did not affect Cyp17a1 and Hsd17b1. Further, folic acid could basically reduce the damage caused by methomyl. This study provided new insights into the toxicity of methomyl and the protective effect of folic acid.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengxi Lu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
| | - Yi Liu
- Department of Pharmacology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
- Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, China
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38
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Zheng X, Guo C, Lv Z, Jiang H, Li S, Yu L, Zhang Z. From animal to cell model: Pyroptosis targeted-fibrosis is a novel mechanism of lead-induced testicular toxicity. Food Chem Toxicol 2023:113886. [PMID: 37302539 DOI: 10.1016/j.fct.2023.113886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 05/26/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Lead (Pb) exists widely in soil and seriously threatens agricultural soil and food crops. Pb can cause serious damage to organs. In this study, the animal model of Pb-induced rat testicular injury and the cell model of Pb-induced TM4 Sertoli cell injury were established to verify whether the testicular toxicity of Pb was related to pyroptosis-mediated fibrosis. The results of experiment in vivo showed that Pb could cause oxidative stress and up-regulated the expression levels of inflammation, pyroptosis, and fibrosis-related proteins in the testis of rats. The results of experiments in vitro showed that Pb induced the cell damage, enhanced the reactive oxygen species level in the TM4 Sertoli cells. After using nuclear factor-kappa B inhibitors and Caspase-1 inhibitors, the elevation of TM4 Sertoli cell inflammation, pyroptosis, and fibrosis-related proteins induced by Pb exposure was significantly decreased. Taken together, Pb can cause pyroptosis-targeted fibrosis and ultimately issues in testicular damage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoyan Zheng
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Changming Guo
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Jilin University, Changchun, 130062, China
| | - Zhanjun Lv
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Huijie Jiang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Siyu Li
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Lu Yu
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China
| | - Zhigang Zhang
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin, 150030, China; Heilongjiang Key Laboratory for Laboratory Animals and Comparative Medicine, Harbin, 150030, China.
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39
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Saito H, Yokota S, Kitajima S. Immunohistochemical analysis of the vimentin filaments in Sertoli cells is a powerful tool for the prediction of spermatogenic dysfunction. Acta Histochem 2023; 125:152046. [PMID: 37224719 DOI: 10.1016/j.acthis.2023.152046] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/26/2023]
Abstract
The close interaction between male germ cells and Sertoli cells, a type of somatic cell found in the seminiferous tubules of mammalian testis, is essential for the normal progression of spermatogenesis in mammals. Vimentin is an intermediate filament protein that primarily provides mechanical support, preserves cell shape, and maintains the nuclear position, and it is often used as a marker to identify Sertoli cells. Vimentin is known to be involved in many diseases and aging processes; however, how vimentin is related to spermatogenic dysfunction and the associated functional changes is still unclear. In a previous study, we reported that vitamin E deficiency affected the testes, epididymis, and spermatozoa of mice, accelerating the progression of senescence. In this study, we focused on the Sertoli cell marker vimentin and explored the relationship between the cytoskeletal system of Sertoli cells and spermatogenic dysfunction using testis tissue sections that caused male reproductive dysfunction with vitamin E deficiency. The immunohistochemical analysis showed that the proportion of the vimentin-positive area in seminiferous tubule cross-sections was significantly increased in testis tissue sections of the vitamin E-deficient group compared with the proportion in the control group. The histological analysis of testis tissue sections from the vitamin E-deficient group showed that vimentin-positive Sertoli cells were greatly extended from the basement membrane, along with an increased abundance of vimentin. These findings suggest that vimentin may be a potential indicator for detecting spermatogenic dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hirokatsu Saito
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, Center for Biological Safety and Research, National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tono-machi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
| | - Satoshi Yokota
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, Center for Biological Safety and Research, National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tono-machi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan.
| | - Satoshi Kitajima
- Division of Cellular and Molecular Toxicology, Center for Biological Safety and Research, National Institute of Health Sciences, 3-25-26 Tono-machi, Kawasaki-ku, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 210-9501, Japan
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40
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Chen P, Chen J, Zhang W, Tang L, Cheng G, Li H, Fan T, Wang J, Zhong W, Song Y. Biochemical mechanisms of tributyltin chloride-induced cell toxicity in Sertoli cells. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2023; 255:114725. [PMID: 36924558 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/01/2022] [Revised: 02/27/2023] [Accepted: 03/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Tributyltin chloride (TBTCL) is a widely used fungicide and heat stabilizer in compositions of PVC. TBTCL has been detected in human bodies and potentially causes harmful effects on humans' thyroid, cardiovascular and other organs. As one of the first examples of endocrine disruptors, the toxicity effects of TBTCL on the male reproduction system have aroused concerns. However, the potential cellular mechanisms are not fully explored. In the current study, by using Sertoli cells, a critical regulator of spermatogenesis as a cell model, we showed that with 200 nM exposure for 24 h, TBTCL causes apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. RNA sequencing analyses suggested that TBTCL probably activates endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, and disrupts autophagy. Biochemical analysis showed that TBTCL indeed induces ER stress and the dysregulation of autophagy. Interestingly, activation of ER stress and inhibition of autophagy is responsible for TBTCL-induced apoptosis and cell cycle arrest. Our results thus uncovered a novel insight into the cellular mechanisms for TBTCL-induced toxicology in Sertoli cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pengchen Chen
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan 523125, Guangdong, China; Department of Nephrology, Shenzhen key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Junhui Chen
- Department of Nephrology, Shenzhen key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Wei Zhang
- Department of Nephrology, Shenzhen key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China
| | - Li Tang
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan 523125, Guangdong, China
| | - Guangqing Cheng
- Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China
| | - Huiying Li
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan 523125, Guangdong, China
| | - Tianyun Fan
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan 523125, Guangdong, China
| | - Jigang Wang
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan 523125, Guangdong, China; Department of Nephrology, Shenzhen key Laboratory of Kidney Diseases, and Shenzhen Clinical Research Centre for Geriatrics, Shenzhen People's Hospital (The Second Clinical Medical College, Jinan University, The First Affiliated Hospital, Southern University of Science and Technology), Shenzhen 518020, China; Artemisinin Research Center, and Institute of Chinese Materia Medica, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China.
| | - Wenbin Zhong
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan 523125, Guangdong, China.
| | - Yali Song
- Dongguan Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital, Postdoctoral Innovation Practice Base of Southern Medical University, Dongguan 523125, Guangdong, China.
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Yu G, Zhu Y, Song C, Chen L, Tang Z, Wu T. The ZIP9-centered androgen pathway compensates for the 2605 MHz radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation-mediated reduction in resistance to H 2O 2 damage in Sertoli cells of adult rats. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2023; 254:114733. [PMID: 36889209 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2022] [Revised: 02/17/2023] [Accepted: 03/03/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
The direct biological effects of radiofrequency electromagnetic radiation (RF-EMR) from wireless communication equipment on the testes are still unclear. Our previous study proved that long-term exposure to 2605 MHz RF-EMR gradually damage spermatogenesis and resulted in time-dependent reproductive toxicity by directly disrupting blood-testis barrier circulation. Although short-term exposure did not cause readily observable damage to fertility, whether it caused specific biological effects and how these effects contributed to the time-dependent reproductive toxicity of RF-EMR were currently unknown. Studies on this issue are important for elucidating the time-dependent reproductive toxicity of RF-EMR. The present study established a 2605 MHz RF-EMR (SAR=1.05 W/Kg) scrotal exposure model with rats and extracted primary Sertoli cells for exposure to investigate the direct biological effects of short-term RF-EMR exposure on the testis. The results showed that short-term RF-EMR exposure did not decrease sperm quality and spermatogenesis, but it increased the levels of testicular testosterone (T) and zinc transporter 9 (ZIP9) in Sertoli cells of rats. In vitro, 2605 MHz RF-EMR exposure did not increase the apoptosis rate of Sertoli cells, but it increased the apoptosis rate and MDA of Sertoli cells exposed to H2O2. T reversed these changes and increased ZIP9 level in Sertoli cells, whereas inhibiting ZIP9 expression significantly suppressed these T-mediated protective effects. Moreover, T increased the levels of phosphorylated inositol-requiring enzyme 1 (P-IRE1), phosphorylated protein kinase R (PKR)-like endoplasmic reticulum kinase (P-PERK), phosphorylated eukaryotic initiation factor 2a (P-eIF2a) and phosphorylated activating transcription factor 6 (P-ATF6) in Sertoli cells, and these effects were reversed by ZIP9 inhibition. With prolonged exposure time, testicular ZIP9 was gradually downregulated, and testicular MDA increased. ZIP9 level was negatively correlated with MDA level in the testes of exposed rats. Thus, although short-term exposure to 2605 MHz RF-EMR (SAR=1.05 W/kg) did not significantly disturb spermatogenesis, it suppressed the ability of Sertoli cells to resist external insults, which was rescued by enhancing the ZIP9-centered androgen pathway in the short term. Increasing the unfolded protein response might be an important downstream mechanism involved. These results promote a better understanding of the time-dependent reproductive toxicity of 2605 MHz RF-EMR.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gang Yu
- Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
| | - Yabing Zhu
- Department of Critical Care Medicine, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Chao Song
- Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Liang Chen
- Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China
| | - Zeping Tang
- Guangdong Environmental Radiation Monitoring Center, Guangzhou, Guangdong Province, China
| | - Tianpeng Wu
- Department of Urology, Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, China.
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Jirwankar Y, Dighe V. Identification and validation of Sertoli cell homing peptides as molecular steering for testis targeted drug delivery. J Drug Target 2023; 31:390-401. [PMID: 36604336 DOI: 10.1080/1061186x.2022.2164007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The testicle, an organ privileged with immunity because of Blood-Testis Barrier (BTB), poses a major impediment to developing and delivering drugs to the testes. These problems can be prevented by targeting testicular cells using specific ligands, such as homing peptides. This is the first study to demonstrate the successful selection of Sertoli cell homing peptides using a phage display peptide library. The identification of peptides is performed with Sanger sequencing and high-throughput NGS. The Sertoli cell and testis targeting potential of the SCHP1 and SCHP2 was confirmed using confocal microscopy and flow cytometry of the FITC-labelled peptides and in vivo bio-distribution of the corresponding Cy5.5-tagged peptides. Secondary structures were predicted in the setting of different polarity by circular dichroism. The results suggest that SCHP1 and SCHP2 can effectively target Sertoli cells. In vivo bio-distribution in mouse models indicated significantly higher uptake of SCHP1 and SCHP2 by testes compared with the heart, brain, and spleen. SCHP1 and SCHP2 can be adopted as molecular steering for targeted male contraceptive delivery, treatment of testicular cancer, and male infertility. Further development of the peptides into peptidomimetics may increase their stability, and information on the molecular targets of these peptides may reveal their therapeutic potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yugandhara Jirwankar
- National Centre for Preclinical Reproductive and Genetic Toxicology, ICMR - National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Mumbai, India
| | - Vikas Dighe
- National Centre for Preclinical Reproductive and Genetic Toxicology, ICMR - National Institute for Research in Reproductive and Child Health, Mumbai, India
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Peng YJ, Tang XT, Shu HS, Dong W, Shao H, Zhou BO. Sertoli cells are the source of stem cell factor for spermatogenesis. Development 2023; 150:297262. [PMID: 36861441 PMCID: PMC10112922 DOI: 10.1242/dev.200706] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2022] [Accepted: 02/17/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2023]
Abstract
Several cell types have been proposed to create the required microenvironment for spermatogenesis. However, expression patterns of the key growth factors produced by these somatic cells have not been systematically studied and no such factor has been conditionally deleted from its primary source(s), raising the question of which cell type(s) are the physiological sources of these growth factors. Here, using single-cell RNA sequencing and a series of fluorescent reporter mice, we found that stem cell factor (Scf), one of the essential growth factors for spermatogenesis, was broadly expressed in testicular stromal cells, including Sertoli, endothelial, Leydig, smooth muscle and Tcf21-CreER+ stromal cells. Both undifferentiated and differentiating spermatogonia were associated with Scf-expressing Sertoli cells in the seminiferous tubule. Conditional deletion of Scf from Sertoli cells, but not any other Scf-expressing cells, blocked the differentiation of spermatogonia, leading to complete male infertility. Conditional overexpression of Scf in Sertoli cells, but not endothelial cells, significantly increased spermatogenesis. Our data reveal the importance of anatomical localization for Sertoli cells in regulating spermatogenesis and that SCF produced specifically by Sertoli cells is essential for spermatogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Jacky Peng
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Xinyu Thomas Tang
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Hui Sophie Shu
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Wenjie Dong
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongfang Shao
- Center of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Gynecology and Obstetrics, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine-Affiliated Sixth People's Hospital, 600 Yishan Road, Shanghai, 200233, People's Republic of China
| | - Bo O Zhou
- State Key Laboratory of Cell Biology, Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, CAS Center for Excellence in Molecular Cell Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, 320 Yueyang Road, Shanghai, 200031, People's Republic of China
- State Key Laboratory of Experimental Hematology, Haihe Laboratory of Cell Ecosystem, Institute of Hematology & Blood Diseases Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Tianjin, 300020, People's Republic of China
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Liu X, Xi H, Han S, Zhang H, Hu J. Zearalenone induces oxidative stress and autophagy in goat Sertoli cells. Ecotoxicol Environ Saf 2023; 252:114571. [PMID: 36708663 DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoenv.2023.114571] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2022] [Revised: 01/16/2023] [Accepted: 01/21/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Zearalenone (ZEA), one of the non-steroidal estrogen mycotoxin, can cause male reproductive damage and genotoxicity in mammals. Testicular oxidative injury is an important factor causing male sterility. Testicular Sertoli cells are essential for spermatogenesis and male fertility. At present, the mechanism of oxidative injury in dairy goat Sertoli cells after exposure to ZEA remains unclear. This study explored the effects of ZEA on oxidative stress and autophagy in dairy goat Sertoli cells. It was found that treatment of primary Sertoli cells with 25, 50 and 100 μmol/L ZEA for 24 h can promote ROS production, decrease cell viability, antioxidant enzyme activity and mitochondrial membrane potential, induce caspase-dependent cell apoptosis and autophagy activity. ZEA-induced autophagy was confirmed by LC3-I/LC3-II transformation. More importantly, N-acetylcysteine (NAC) pretreatment can remarkably inhibit ZEA-induced oxidative stress, apoptosis and autophagy in Sertoli cells by eliminating ROS. In conclusion, this study indicates that ZEA induces oxidative stress and autophagy in dairy goat Sertoli cells by promoting ROS production.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinyu Liu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Huaming Xi
- Key Laboratory of Applied Technology on Green-Eco-Healthy Animal Husbandry of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Provincial Engineering Laboratory for Animal Health Inspection & Internet Technology, Zhejiang International Science and Technology Cooperation Base for Veterinary Medicine and Health Management, China-Australia Joint Laboratory for Animal Health Big Data Analytics, College of Animal Science and Technology & College of Veterinary Medicine of Zhejiang A&F University, Hangzhou 311300, People's Republic of China
| | - Shuaiqi Han
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Hongyun Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China
| | - Jianhong Hu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding and Reproduction of Shaanxi Province, College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest Agriculture and Forestry University, Yangling, Shaanxi 712100, People's Republic of China.
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Abstract
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are nano-sized membrane-bounded particles, released by all cells and capable of transporting bioactive cargoes, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids, to regulate a variety of biological functions. Seminal plasma is enriched in EVs, and extensive evidence has revealed the role of EVs (e.g. prostasomes and epididymosomes) in the male genital tract. Recently, EVs released from testicular cells have been isolated and identified, and some new insights have been generated on their role in maintaining normal spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis in the testis. In the seminiferous tubules, Sertoli cell-derived EVs can promote the differentiation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs), and EVs secreted from undifferentiated A spermatogonia can inhibit the proliferation of SSCs. In the testicular interstitium, EVs have been identified in endothelial cells, macrophages, telocytes, and Leydig cells, although their roles are still elusive. Testicular EVs can also pass through the blood-testis barrier and mediate inter-compartment communication between the seminiferous tubules and the interstitium. Immature Sertoli cell-derived EVs can promote survival and suppress the steroidogenesis of Leydig cells. Exosomes isolated from macrophages can protect spermatogonia from radiation-induced injury. In addition to their role in intercellular communication, testicular EVs may also participate in the removal of aberrant proteins and the delivery of antigens for immune tolerance. EVs released from testicular cells can be detected in seminal plasma, which makes them potential biomarkers reflecting testicular function and disease status. The testicular EVs in seminal plasma may also affect the female reproductive tract to facilitate conception and may even affect early embryogenesis through modulating sperm RNA. EVs represent a new type of intercellular messenger in the testis. A detailed understanding of the role of testicular EV may contribute to the discovery of new mechanisms causing male infertility and enable the development of new diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for the treatment of infertile men.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yi Ma
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai, China
| | - Qin-Wen Ma
- Shanghai Xinzhu Middle School, Shanghai, China
| | - Yun Sun
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai, China
| | - Xiang-Feng Chen
- Center for Reproductive Medicine, Ren Ji Hospital, School of Medicine, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Key Laboratory for Assisted Reproduction and Reproductive Genetics, Shanghai, China.,Shanghai Human Sperm Bank, Shanghai, China
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46
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Wu W, Hu Y, Zhang Q, Xu Y, Su W. TNFα stimulates the proliferation of immature Sertoli cells by attenuating UPS-degradation of cyclin D1 and leads to the delay of BTB maturation in pubertal rats. Andrology 2023; 11:575-590. [PMID: 36354278 DOI: 10.1111/andr.13336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2022] [Revised: 09/18/2022] [Accepted: 10/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUNDS The Sertoli cell that plays a vital role during spermatogenesis is a known target of physiological and pathological factors affecting testicular development. Tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) participates in the blood-testis barrier reconstruction, cell apoptosis, and inflammatory response by recognizing receptors on Sertoli cell. TNFα has also been shown to induce the proliferation of immature Sertoli cell in vitro, yet the mechanism still remains unclarified. OBJECTIVES This study was designed to investigate the effect of TNFα on blood-testis barrier development during puberty and the underlying mechanisms of TNFα-induced immature Sertoli cell proliferation. MATERIALS AND METHODS Immature male Sprague-Dawley rats of postnatal day 12 were intraperitoneally injected with TNFα. Biotin-labeled method was used to detect permeability of the developing blood-testis barrier after TNFα treatment, and the distribution of occludin and junctional adhesion molecule-A (JAM-A) were detected by immunofluorescence. Sertoli cells isolated from Sprague-Dawley rats of postnatal day 10 were cultured in vitro and treated with TNFα. Cell proliferation rate was reflected by Cell Counting Kit-8 (CCK-8) and 5-ethynyl-2'-deoxyuridine (EdU) assay. Immunoblot and quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to detect the expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen, Fbxo4, and cyclin D1. Immunoprecipitation was used to detect the ubiquitination of cyclin D1 and the interaction between Fbxo4 and cyclin D1. Ammonium pyrrolidinedithiocarbamate (PDTC) was applied to detect the effect of nuclear factor kappaB (NFκB) activity inhibition on TNFα-induced Sertoli cell proliferation. The adenoviral recombinant plasmid containing rat Fbxo4 gene was constructed to investigate the effect of Fbxo4 overexpression on Sertoli cell proliferation promoted by TNFα. RESULTS The in vivo experiment revealed a significant delay of blood-testis barrier maturation in pubertal rats caused by exogenous TNFα. TNFα (10 ng/ml) treatment in vitro was found to promote the proliferation of immature Sertoli cells, accompanied with increased NFκB activity and cyclin D1 protein level. The level of Fbxo4 and ubiquitination of cyclin D1 were decreased after TNFα treatment. Inhibitor of NFκB or overexpression of Fbxo4 could both reverse the TNFα-induced proliferation of immature Sertoli cells, meanwhile restore the ubiquitin-proteasome system-dependent degradation of cyclin D1. Overexpression of Fbxo4 could not affect the activation of NFκB caused by TNFα. CONCLUSION These results indicate that TNFα inhibits the ubiquitination and degradation of cyclin D1 through the NFκB pathway, thereby promoting the proliferation of immature Sertoli cell in vitro and inducing the delay of blood-testis barrier maturation in pubertal rats.
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Affiliation(s)
- Weixing Wu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China.,National Cancer Center, National Clinical Research Center for Cancer, Cancer Hospital & Shenzhen Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
| | - Ying Hu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Qiang Zhang
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Ying Xu
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
| | - Wenhui Su
- Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, College of Life Science, China Medical University, Shenyang, Liaoning, China
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47
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Costa GMJ, Lacerda SMSN, Figueiredo AFA, Wnuk NT, Brener MRG, Andrade LM, Campolina-Silva GH, Kauffmann-Zeh A, Pacifico LGG, Versiani AF, Antunes MM, Souza FR, Cassali GD, Caldeira-Brant AL, Chiarini-Garcia H, de Souza FG, Costa VV, da Fonseca FG, Nogueira ML, Campos GRF, Kangussu LM, Martins EMN, Antonio LM, Bittar C, Rahal P, Aguiar RS, Mendes BP, Procópio MS, Furtado TP, Guimaraes YL, Menezes GB, Martinez-Marchal A, Orwig KE, Brieño-Enríquez M, Furtado MH. High SARS-CoV-2 tropism and activation of immune cells in the testes of non-vaccinated deceased COVID-19 patients. BMC Biol 2023; 21:36. [PMID: 36797789 PMCID: PMC9933832 DOI: 10.1186/s12915-022-01497-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 02/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cellular entry of SARS-CoV-2 has been shown to rely on angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptors, whose expression in the testis is among the highest in the body. Additionally, the risk of mortality seems higher among male COVID-19 patients, and though much has been published since the first cases of COVID-19, there remain unanswered questions regarding SARS-CoV-2 impact on testes and potential consequences for reproductive health. We investigated testicular alterations in non-vaccinated deceased COVID-19-patients, the precise location of the virus, its replicative activity, and the immune, vascular, and molecular fluctuations involved in the pathogenesis. RESULTS We found that SARS-CoV-2 testicular tropism is higher than previously thought and that reliable viral detection in the testis requires sensitive nanosensors or RT-qPCR using a specific methodology. Through an in vitro experiment exposing VERO cells to testicular macerates, we observed viral content in all samples, and the subgenomic RNA's presence reinforced the replicative activity of SARS-CoV-2 in testes of the severe COVID-19 patients. The cellular structures and viral particles, observed by transmission electron microscopy, indicated that macrophages and spermatogonial cells are the main SARS-CoV-2 lodging sites, where new virions form inside the endoplasmic reticulum Golgi intermediate complex. Moreover, we showed infiltrative infected monocytes migrating into the testicular parenchyma. SARS-CoV-2 maintains its replicative and infective abilities long after the patient's infection. Further, we demonstrated high levels of angiotensin II and activated immune cells in the testes of deceased patients. The infected testes show thickening of the tunica propria, germ cell apoptosis, Sertoli cell barrier loss, evident hemorrhage, angiogenesis, Leydig cell inhibition, inflammation, and fibrosis. CONCLUSIONS Our findings indicate that high angiotensin II levels and activation of mast cells and macrophages may be critical for testicular pathogenesis. Importantly, our findings suggest that patients who become critically ill may exhibit severe alterations and harbor the active virus in the testes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guilherme M. J. Costa
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Samyra M. S. N. Lacerda
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - André F. A. Figueiredo
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Natália T. Wnuk
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Marcos R. G. Brener
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Lídia M. Andrade
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Alice F. Versiani
- grid.419029.70000 0004 0615 5265Faculdade de Medicina de São Jose do Rio Preto, São Jose do Rio Preto, SP Brazil ,grid.176731.50000 0001 1547 9964Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX USA
| | - Maísa M. Antunes
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Fernanda R. Souza
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Geovanni D. Cassali
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - André L. Caldeira-Brant
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil ,grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Women’s Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Hélio Chiarini-Garcia
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Fernanda G. de Souza
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Vivian V. Costa
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Flavio G. da Fonseca
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Maurício L. Nogueira
- grid.419029.70000 0004 0615 5265Faculdade de Medicina de São Jose do Rio Preto, São Jose do Rio Preto, SP Brazil ,grid.176731.50000 0001 1547 9964Department of Pathology, University of Texas Medical Branch, Galveston, TX USA
| | - Guilherme R. F. Campos
- grid.419029.70000 0004 0615 5265Faculdade de Medicina de São Jose do Rio Preto, São Jose do Rio Preto, SP Brazil
| | - Lucas M. Kangussu
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Estefânia M. N. Martins
- grid.466576.00000 0004 0635 4678Centro de Desenvolvimento da Tecnologia Nuclear-CDTN/CNEN, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Loudiana M. Antonio
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Cintia Bittar
- grid.410543.70000 0001 2188 478XUniversidade Estadual Paulista, São José do Rio Preto, SP Brazil
| | - Paula Rahal
- grid.410543.70000 0001 2188 478XUniversidade Estadual Paulista, São José do Rio Preto, SP Brazil
| | - Renato S. Aguiar
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | | | | | | | - Yuri L. Guimaraes
- Clínica MF Fertilidade Masculina, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil ,Departamentos de Urologia e de Reprodução Humana da Rede Mater Dei de Saúde, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Gustavo B. Menezes
- grid.8430.f0000 0001 2181 4888Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
| | - Ana Martinez-Marchal
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Women’s Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Kyle E. Orwig
- grid.21925.3d0000 0004 1936 9000Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Women’s Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA
| | - Miguel Brieño-Enríquez
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, Magee-Women's Research Institute, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, USA.
| | - Marcelo H. Furtado
- Clínica MF Fertilidade Masculina, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil ,Departamentos de Urologia e de Reprodução Humana da Rede Mater Dei de Saúde, Belo Horizonte, MG Brazil
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48
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Man Y, Liu Y, Xiong C, Zhang Y, Zhang L. Non-Lethal Concentrations of CdCl 2 Cause Marked Alternations in Cellular Stress Responses within Exposed Sertoli Cell Line. Toxics 2023; 11:167. [PMID: 36851042 PMCID: PMC9962571 DOI: 10.3390/toxics11020167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Cadmium is a component of ambient metal pollution, which is linked to diverse health issues globally, including male reproductive impairment. Assessments of the acute effects of cadmium on male reproduction systems, such as testes, tend to be based on frank adverse effects, with particular molecular pathways also involved. The relationship between cytotoxicity potential and cellular stress response has been suggested to be one of the many possible drivers of the acute effects of cadmium, but the link remains uncertain. In consequence, there is still much to be learned about the cellular stress response induced by a non-lethal concentration of cadmium in male reproductive cells. The present study used temporal assays to evaluate cellular stress response upon exposure to non-lethal concentrations of Cadmium chloride (CdCl2) in the Sertoli cell line (TM4). The data showed alternations in the expression of genes intimated involved in various cellular stress responses, including endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, endoplasmic unfolded protein stress (UPRmt), endoplasmic dynamics, Nrf2-related antioxidative response, autophagy, and metallothionein (MT) expression. Furthermore, these cellular responses interacted and were tightly related to oxidative stress. Thus, the non-lethal concentration of cadmium perturbed the homeostasis of the Sertoli cell line by inducing pleiotropic cellular stresses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yonghong Man
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430060, China
- Center of Scientific Research and Experiment, Nanyang Medical College, Nanyang 473006, China
| | - Yunhao Liu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Chuanzhen Xiong
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Yang Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430060, China
| | - Ling Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, School of Public Health, Wuhan University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430060, China
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49
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Geng X, Wei Y, Geng W, Zhang T, Ding T, Xu J, He H, Gao X, Zhai J. BDE-209 disrupted the blood-testis barrier integrity by inhibiting estrogen receptor α signaling pathway in Sprague-Dawley rats. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int 2023; 30:47349-47365. [PMID: 36737566 DOI: 10.1007/s11356-023-25476-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Deca brominated diphenyl ether (BDE-209) is a widely used flame retardant with endocrine-disrupting activity which reportedly caused sperm quality decline and damaged blood-testis barrier (BTB). However, whether BDE-209 exposure led to BTB integrity dysfunction through affecting microtubule cytoskeletal organization and junctions was not well-elucidated. This study aimed to investigate the role of estrogen receptor α (ERα) in BDE-209-mediated perturbation of BTB integrity. Male rats and primary culture Sertoli cells were co-treated with BDE-209 and propylpyrazoletriol (PPT). The data demonstrated that BDE-209 impaired BTB integrity by reducing crucial tight junction-related proteins with ZO-1 and Occludin. Furthermore, the data suggested that BDE-209 diminished the apical ectoplasmic specialization markers with Eps8 and Formin1. In addition, BDE-209 damaged BTB ultrastructure including tight junctions and ectoplasmic specialization structures with broken tight junctions and the absence of actin microfilaments. Further experiments revealed that ERα was triggered in BDE-209-treated Sertoli cells. Unexpectedly, we found that PPT rescued BDE-209-mediated disruption of BTB integrity including tight junction and apical ectoplasmic specialization by activating ERα in Sertoli cells. Taken together, these findings indicated that intratesticular BDE-209 exposure perturbed BTB integrity and destroyed BTB structure by blocking ERα pathway. Our findings provide a new therapeutic target for male reproductive dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiya Geng
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei, 230032, China
- The First Affiliated Hospital of Anhui Medical University, Jixi Rd 218, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Yu Wei
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Wenfeng Geng
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Taifa Zhang
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Tao Ding
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Jixiang Xu
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Huan He
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Xin Gao
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei, 230032, China
| | - Jinxia Zhai
- Department of Occupational and Environmental Health, School of Public Health, Anhui Medical University, Meishan Rd 81, Hefei, 230032, China.
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50
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Chen M, Li S, Liu S, Zhang Y, Cui X, Lv L, Liu B, Zheng A, Wang Q, Duo S, Gao F. Infection of SARS-CoV-2 causes severe pathological changes in mouse testis. J Genet Genomics 2023; 50:99-107. [PMID: 36494057 PMCID: PMC9724560 DOI: 10.1016/j.jgg.2022.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has affected more than 600 million people worldwide. Several organs including lung, intestine, and brain are infected by SARS-CoV-2. It has been reported that SARS-CoV-2 receptor angiotensin-converting enzyme-2 (ACE2) is expressed in human testis. However, whether testis is also affected by SARS-CoV-2 is still unclear. In this study, we generate a human ACE2 (hACE2) transgenic mouse model in which the expression of hACE2 gene is regulated by hACE2 promoter. Sertoli and Leydig cells from hACE2 transgenic mice can be infected by SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus in vitro, and severe pathological changes are observed after injecting the SARS-CoV-2 pseudovirus into the seminiferous tubules. Further studies reveal that Sertoli and Leydig cells from hACE2 transgenic mice are also infected by authentic SARS-CoV-2 virus in vitro. After testis interstitium injection, authentic SARS-CoV-2 viruses are first disseminated to the interstitial cells, and then detected inside the seminiferous tubules which in turn cause germ cell loss and disruption of seminiferous tubules. Our study demonstrates that testis is most likely a target of SARS-CoV-2 virus. Attention should be paid to the reproductive function in SARS-CoV-2 patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Chen
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shihua Li
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Shujun Liu
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Yuhang Zhang
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Xiuhong Cui
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Limin Lv
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Bowen Liu
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China
| | - Aihua Zheng
- State Key Laboratory of Integrated Management of Pest Insects and Rodents, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; CAS Center for Excellence in Biotic Interactions, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Qihui Wang
- CAS Key Laboratory of Pathogen Microbiology and Immunology, Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Shuguang Duo
- Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
| | - Fei Gao
- State Key Laboratory of Stem Cell and Reproductive Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Institute for Stem Cell and Regeneration, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China; Beijing Institute for Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine, Beijing 100101, China; University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, China.
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