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Amarilla MS, Glienke L, Munduruca Pires T, Sobarzo CM, Oxilia HG, Fulco MF, Rodríguez Peña M, Maio MB, Ferrer Viñals D, Lustig L, Jacobo PV, Theas MS. Impaired Spermatogenesis in Infertile Patients with Orchitis and Experimental Autoimmune Orchitis in Rats. Biology (Basel) 2024; 13:278. [PMID: 38666890 PMCID: PMC11048156 DOI: 10.3390/biology13040278] [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] [Received: 03/25/2024] [Revised: 04/10/2024] [Accepted: 04/12/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024]
Abstract
Experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) is a well-established rodent model of organ-specific autoimmunity associated with infertility in which the testis immunohistopathology has been extensively studied. In contrast, analysis of testis biopsies from infertile patients associated with inflammation has been more limited. In this work, testicular biopsies from patients with idiopathic non-obstructive azoospermia diagnosed with hypospermatogenesis (HypoSp) [mild: n = 9, and severe: n = 11], with obstructive azoospermia and complete Sp (spermatogenesis) (control group, C, n = 9), and from Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCOS, n = 9) were analyzed for the presence of immune cells, spermatogonia and Sertoli cell (SCs) alterations, and reproductive hormones levels. These parameters were compared with those obtained in rats with EAO. The presence of increased CD45+ cells in the seminiferous tubules (STs) wall and lumen in severe HypoSp is associated with increased numbers of apoptotic meiotic germ cells and decreased populations of undifferentiated and differentiated spermatogonia. The SCs showed an immature profile with the highest expression of AMH in patients with SCOS and severe HypoSp. In SCOS patients, the amount of SCs/ST and Ki67+ SCs/ST increased and correlated with high serum FSH levels and CD45+ cells. In the severe phase of EAO, immune cell infiltration and apoptosis of meiotic germ cells increased and the number of undifferentiated and differentiated spermatogonia was lowest, as previously reported. Here, we found that orchitis leads to reduced sperm number, viability, and motility. SCs were mature (AMH-) but increased in number, with Ki67+ observed in severely damaged STs and associated with the highest levels of FSH and inflammatory cells. Our findings demonstrate that in a scenario where a chronic inflammatory process is underway, FSH levels, immune cell infiltration, and immature phenotypes of SCs are associated with severe changes in spermatogenesis, leading to azoospermia. Furthermore, AMH and Ki67 expression in SCs is a distinctive marker of severe alterations of STs in human orchitis.
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Affiliation(s)
- María Sofía Amarilla
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 10, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina; (L.G.); (T.M.P.); (C.M.S.); (M.B.M.); (D.F.V.); (L.L.)
| | - Leilane Glienke
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 10, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina; (L.G.); (T.M.P.); (C.M.S.); (M.B.M.); (D.F.V.); (L.L.)
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Cátedra II de Histología, Paraguay 2155, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina;
| | - Thaisy Munduruca Pires
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 10, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina; (L.G.); (T.M.P.); (C.M.S.); (M.B.M.); (D.F.V.); (L.L.)
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Cátedra II de Histología, Paraguay 2155, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina;
| | - Cristian Marcelo Sobarzo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 10, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina; (L.G.); (T.M.P.); (C.M.S.); (M.B.M.); (D.F.V.); (L.L.)
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Cátedra II de Histología, Paraguay 2155, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina;
| | - Hernán Gustavo Oxilia
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Cátedra II de Histología, Paraguay 2155, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina;
- Anatomía Patológica, Hospital General de Agudos Parmenio Piñero, Varela 1301, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1406ELA, Argentina
| | - María Florencia Fulco
- Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín, Av. Córdoba 2351 (C1120AAR), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina; (M.F.F.); (M.R.P.)
| | - Marcelo Rodríguez Peña
- Hospital de Clínicas General San Martín, Av. Córdoba 2351 (C1120AAR), Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina; (M.F.F.); (M.R.P.)
| | - María Belén Maio
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 10, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina; (L.G.); (T.M.P.); (C.M.S.); (M.B.M.); (D.F.V.); (L.L.)
| | - Denisse Ferrer Viñals
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 10, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina; (L.G.); (T.M.P.); (C.M.S.); (M.B.M.); (D.F.V.); (L.L.)
| | - Livia Lustig
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 10, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina; (L.G.); (T.M.P.); (C.M.S.); (M.B.M.); (D.F.V.); (L.L.)
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Cátedra II de Histología, Paraguay 2155, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina;
| | - Patricia Verónica Jacobo
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 10, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina; (L.G.); (T.M.P.); (C.M.S.); (M.B.M.); (D.F.V.); (L.L.)
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Cátedra II de Histología, Paraguay 2155, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina;
| | - María Susana Theas
- Instituto de Investigaciones Biomédicas (INBIOMED), CONICET-Universidad de Buenos Aires, Paraguay 2155, Piso 10, Laboratorio 10, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina; (L.G.); (T.M.P.); (C.M.S.); (M.B.M.); (D.F.V.); (L.L.)
- Departamento de Biología Celular, Facultad de Medicina, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Cátedra II de Histología, Paraguay 2155, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires C1421ABG, Argentina;
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