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Zhao X, Wang S, Xu J, Wang C, Feng Y, Xue H, Wu M, Chen L, Xu L. Effects of short daylight and mild low temperature on mitochondrial degeneration in the testis of
Cricetulus barabensis. Mol Reprod Dev 2022; 89:413-422. [DOI: 10.1002/mrd.23632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Revised: 06/11/2022] [Accepted: 06/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xiang‐Yu Zhao
- College of Life Sciences Qufu Normal University Qufu Shandong China
| | - Shuo Wang
- College of Life Sciences Qufu Normal University Qufu Shandong China
| | - Jin‐Hui Xu
- College of Life Sciences Qufu Normal University Qufu Shandong China
| | - Chuan‐Li Wang
- College of Life Sciences Qufu Normal University Qufu Shandong China
| | - Yong‐Zhen Feng
- College of Life Sciences Qufu Normal University Qufu Shandong China
| | - Hui‐Liang Xue
- College of Life Sciences Qufu Normal University Qufu Shandong China
| | - Ming Wu
- College of Life Sciences Qufu Normal University Qufu Shandong China
| | - Lei Chen
- College of Life Sciences Qufu Normal University Qufu Shandong China
| | - Lai‐Xiang Xu
- College of Life Sciences Qufu Normal University Qufu Shandong China
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Beltrán-Frutos E, Seco-Rovira V, Martínez-Hernández J, Ferrer C, Serrano-Sánchez MI, Pastor LM. Cellular Modifications in Spermatogenesis during Seasonal Testicular Regression: An Update Review in Mammals. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12131605. [PMID: 35804504 PMCID: PMC9265002 DOI: 10.3390/ani12131605] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/27/2022] [Revised: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The most common form of reproduction in mammals is seasonal reproduction. This ensures that offspring are born at the most suitable time for survival, due to the abundance of food and the optimal temperatures for early postnatal development. In males, one way to achieve this is to decrease or lose fertility over a given period. This loss is associated with a greater or lesser degree of spermatogenesis modification that affects both germ and Sertoli cells. This paper reviews the different cellular mechanisms that have been postulated in recent years to explain how the activity of the seminiferous epithelium decreases during the non-reproductive period. Abstract Testicular regression occurs during the non-breeding season in many mammals. This affects spermatogenesis, resulting in decreased or arrested activity. Both lead to a decrease or cessation in sperm production. In recent years, the cellular mechanisms that lead to infertility in males in non-reproductive periods have been studied in very different species of mammals. At the start of the present century, the main mechanism involved was considered as an increase in the apoptotic activity of germ cells during the regression period. The loss of spermatogonia and spermatocytes causes not only a decrease in spermatogenesis, but an arrest of the seminiferous epithelium activity at the end of regression. Recently, in some mammal species, it was found that apoptosis is the usual mechanism involved in epithelium activity arrest, although it is firstly atrophied by massive desquamation of the germ cells that are released from their binding with the Sertoli cells, and which are shed into the lumen of the seminiferous tubule. In other species, it has been shown that not only germ cell apoptosis, but also Sertoli cell apoptosis, including decreased proliferative activity, spermatophagy or autophagy, are involved in testicular regression. Furthermore, the most recent studies indicate that there are multiple patterns of seminiferous epithelium regression in seasonally breeding animals, which may not only be used by different species, but also by the same ones to reproduce in the best conditions, ensuring their survival. In conclusion, at this time, it is not possible to consider the existence of a paradigmatic cellular mechanism in the involution of the seminiferous epithelium applicable to all male mammals with seasonal reproduction, rather the existence of several mechanisms which participate to a greater or lesser extent in each of the species that have been studied to date.
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Xu JH, Wang Z, Mou JJ, Zhao XY, Geng XC, Wu M, Xue HL, Chen L, Xu LX. The effect of autophagy and mitochondrial fission on Harderian gland is greater than apoptosis in male hamsters during different photoperiods. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241561. [PMID: 33253255 PMCID: PMC7704011 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/18/2020] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Photoperiod is an important factor of mammalian seasonal rhythm. Here, we studied morphological differences in the Harderian gland (HG), a vital photosensitive organ, in male striped dwarf hamsters (Cricetulus barabensis) under different photoperiods (short photoperiod, SP; moderate photoperiod, MP; long photoperiod, LP), and investigated the underlying molecular mechanisms related to these morphological differences. Results showed that carcass weight and HG weight were lower under SP and LP conditions. There was an inverse correlation between blood melatonin levels and photoperiod in the order SP > MP > LP. Protein expression of hydroxyindole-O-methyltransferase (HIOMT), a MT synthesis-related enzyme, was highest in the SP group. Protein expression of bax/bcl2 showed no significant differences, indicating that the level of apoptosis remained stable. Protein expression of LC3II/LC3I was higher in the SP group than that in the MP group. Furthermore, comparison of changes in the HG ultrastructure demonstrated autolysosome formation in the LP, suggesting the lowest autophagy level in under MP. Furthermore, the protein expression levels of ATP synthase and mitochondrial fission factor were highest in the MP group, whereas citrate synthase, dynamin-related protein1, and fission1 remained unchanged in the three groups. The change trends of ATP synthase and citrate synthase activity were similar to that of protein expression among the three groups. In summary, the up-regulation of autophagy under SP and LP may be a primary factor leading to loss of HG weight and reduced mitochondrial energy supply capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jin-Hui Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
| | - Zhe Wang
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
| | - Jun-Jie Mou
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
| | - Xiang-Yu Zhao
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
| | - Xiao-Cui Geng
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
- Yiheyuan School, Yiyuan, Shandong, China
| | - Ming Wu
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
| | - Hui-Liang Xue
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
| | - Lei Chen
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
| | - Lai-Xiang Xu
- College of Life Sciences, Qufu Normal University, Qufu, Shandong, China
- * E-mail:
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Tolla E, Stevenson TJ. Sex Differences and the Neuroendocrine Regulation of Seasonal Reproduction by Supplementary Environmental Cues. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:1506-1516. [PMID: 32869105 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Seasonal rhythms in reproduction are conserved across nature and optimize the timing of breeding to environmental conditions favorable for offspring and parent survival. The primary predictive cue for timing seasonal breeding is photoperiod. Supplementary cues, such as food availability, social signals, and temperature, fine-tune the timing of reproduction. Male and female animals show differences in the sensory detection, neural integration, and physiological responses to the same supplementary cue. The neuroendocrine regulation of sex-specific integration of predictive and supplementary cues is not well characterized. Recent findings indicate that epigenetic modifications underlie the organization of sex differences in the brain. It has also become apparent that deoxyribonucleic acid methylation and chromatin modifications play an important role in the regulation and timing of seasonal rhythms. This article will highlight evidence for sex-specific responses to supplementary cues using data collected from birds and mammals. We will then emphasize that supplementary cues are integrated in a sex-dependent manner due to the neuroendocrine differences established and maintained by the organizational and activational effects of reproductive sex hormones. We will then discuss how epigenetic processes involved in reproduction provide a novel link between early-life organizational effects in the brain and sex differences in the response to supplementary cues.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Tolla
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Tyler J Stevenson
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
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Martínez-Hernández J, Seco-Rovira V, Beltrán-Frutos E, Ferrer C, Canteras M, Sánchez-Huertas MDM, Pastor LM. Testicular histomorphometry and the proliferative and apoptotic activities of the seminiferous epithelium in Syrian hamster during spontaneous recrudescence after exposure to short photoperiod. Reprod Domest Anim 2018; 53:1041-1051. [DOI: 10.1111/rda.13201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2018] [Revised: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 04/03/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jesús Martínez-Hernández
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Medical School; IMIB-Arrixaca; Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | - Vicente Seco-Rovira
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Medical School; IMIB-Arrixaca; Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | - Ester Beltrán-Frutos
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Medical School; IMIB-Arrixaca; Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | - Concepción Ferrer
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Medical School; IMIB-Arrixaca; Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | - Manuel Canteras
- Department of Statistics, Medical School; University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | - María del Mar Sánchez-Huertas
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Medical School; IMIB-Arrixaca; Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | - Luis Miguel Pastor
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Medical School; IMIB-Arrixaca; Regional Campus of International Excellence "Campus Mare Nostrum", University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
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Apoptosis, proliferation, and cell size in seasonal changes of body and organ weight in male bank voles Myodes glareolus. MAMMAL RES 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s13364-015-0224-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Seasonal variations cause morphological changes and altered spermatogenesis in the testes of viscacha (Lagostomus maximus). Anim Reprod Sci 2014; 149:316-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2014.07.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2014] [Revised: 07/02/2014] [Accepted: 07/08/2014] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
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Seco-Rovira V, Beltrán-Frutos E, Ferrer C, Sánchez-Huertas MM, Madrid JF, Saez FJ, Pastor LM. Lectin Histochemistry as a Tool to Identify Apoptotic Cells in the Seminiferous Epithelium of Syrian Hamster (Mesocricetus auratus) Subjected to Short Photoperiod. Reprod Domest Anim 2013; 48:974-83. [DOI: 10.1111/rda.12196] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2013] [Accepted: 05/15/2013] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- V Seco-Rovira
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Medical School, IMIB, Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’; University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | - E Beltrán-Frutos
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Medical School, IMIB, Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’; University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | - C Ferrer
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Medical School, IMIB, Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’; University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | - MM Sánchez-Huertas
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Medical School, IMIB, Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’; University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | - JF Madrid
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Medical School, IMIB, Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’; University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
| | - FJ Saez
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology UFI11/44, School of Medicine and Dentistry; University of the Basque Country, UPV/EHU; Leioa Spain
| | - LM Pastor
- Department of Cell Biology and Histology, Medical School, IMIB, Regional Campus of International Excellence ‘Campus Mare Nostrum’; University of Murcia; Murcia Spain
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Morgan C. Plasticity in photoperiodic regulation of adrenal, but not testicular, function in Syrian hamsters. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2012; 178:441-9. [PMID: 22771551 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2012.06.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2011] [Revised: 06/16/2012] [Accepted: 06/20/2012] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
Transfer from long days (LD) to short days (SD) increases aggressive behavior, but it suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes in male Syrian hamsters. The present study sought to determine whether social instability (group housing from days 1-70, single housing from days 71 to 84, and 10-min social encounters during the light or dark phase on days 82 and 83) could reverse SD-induced quiescence in the aggression-promoting HPA and HPG axes. Controls were housed in stable groups during LD or SD exposure. Euthanasia occurred on day 84 during the light or dark phase (unstable condition) and during the dark phase (stable condition). SD exposure in the unstable condition increased aggression during social pairings, and it elevated circulating corticosterone, cortisol, and adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) concentrations, assessed by RIA, particularly during the dark phase. Although anterior pituitary pro-opiomelanocortin (POMC) immunoreactivity was unaltered by these experimental conditions, SD and the dark phase during social instability elevated POMC mRNA levels, assessed by solution hybridization assay. In socially stable controls, SD exposure increased aggression, assessed by bite marks, reduced cortisol and ACTH, but not corticosterone, secretion, and it reduced anterior pituitary POMC mRNA, but not immunoreactivity, levels. SD exposure in both conditions reduced testicular function, indicated by more than 77% reduction of testis mass. These results suggest that social instability, rather than aggression per se, reversed SD-induced suppression of HPA, but not HPG, function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caurnel Morgan
- Department of Nutrition & Food Science, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX 77843, USA.
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Sato T, Aiyama Y, Ishii-Inagaki M, Hara K, Tsunekawa N, Harikae K, Uemura-Kamata M, Shinomura M, Zhu XB, Maeda S, Kuwahara-Otani S, Kudo A, Kawakami H, Kanai-Azuma M, Fujiwara M, Miyamae Y, Yoshida S, Seki M, Kurohmaru M, Kanai Y. Cyclical and patch-like GDNF distribution along the basal surface of Sertoli cells in mouse and hamster testes. PLoS One 2011; 6:e28367. [PMID: 22174794 PMCID: PMC3235125 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0028367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2011] [Accepted: 11/07/2011] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background and Aims In mammalian spermatogenesis, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) is one of the major Sertoli cell-derived factors which regulates the maintenance of undifferentiated spermatogonia including spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) through GDNF family receptor α1 (GFRα1). It remains unclear as to when, where and how GDNF molecules are produced and exposed to the GFRα1-positive spermatogonia in vivo. Methodology and Principal Findings Here we show the cyclical and patch-like distribution of immunoreactive GDNF-positive signals and their close co-localization with a subpopulation of GFRα1-positive spermatogonia along the basal surface of Sertoli cells in mice and hamsters. Anti-GDNF section immunostaining revealed that GDNF-positive signals are mainly cytoplasmic and observed specifically in the Sertoli cells in a species-specific as well as a seminiferous cycle- and spermatogenic activity-dependent manner. In contrast to the ubiquitous GDNF signals in mouse testes, high levels of its signals were cyclically observed in hamster testes prior to spermiation. Whole-mount anti-GDNF staining of the seminiferous tubules successfully visualized the cyclical and patch-like extracellular distribution of GDNF-positive granular deposits along the basal surface of Sertoli cells in both species. Double-staining of GDNF and GFRα1 demonstrated the close co-localization of GDNF deposits and a subpopulation of GFRα1-positive spermatogonia. In both species, GFRα1-positive cells showed a slender bipolar shape as well as a tendency for increased cell numbers in the GDNF-enriched area, as compared with those in the GDNF-low/negative area of the seminiferous tubules. Conclusion/Significance Our data provide direct evidence of regionally defined patch-like GDNF-positive signal site in which GFRα1-positive spermatogonia possibly interact with GDNF in the basal compartment of the seminiferous tubules.
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Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Sato
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Drug Safety Research Labs, Astellas Pharma Inc., Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoshimi Aiyama
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | | | - Kenshiro Hara
- Division of Germ Cell Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology and Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Japan
| | - Naoki Tsunekawa
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Kyoko Harikae
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mami Uemura-Kamata
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- Center for Experimental Animal, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Mai Shinomura
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Xiao Bo Zhu
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Seishi Maeda
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan
| | - Sachi Kuwahara-Otani
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan
| | - Akihiko Kudo
- Department of Anatomy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Japan
| | - Hayato Kawakami
- Department of Anatomy, Kyorin University School of Medicine, Mitaka, Japan
| | - Masami Kanai-Azuma
- Center for Experimental Animal, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Michio Fujiwara
- Drug Safety Research Labs, Astellas Pharma Inc., Osaka, Japan
| | - Yoichi Miyamae
- Drug Safety Research Labs, Astellas Pharma Inc., Osaka, Japan
| | - Shosei Yoshida
- Division of Germ Cell Biology, National Institute for Basic Biology and Department of Basic Biology, School of Life Science, Graduate University for Advanced Studies (SOKENDAI), Okazaki, Japan
| | - Makoto Seki
- Division of Cell Biology, Department of Anatomy, Hyogo College of Medicine, Nishinomiya, Japan
| | | | - Yoshiakira Kanai
- Department of Veterinary Anatomy, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
- * E-mail:
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Pastor LM, Zuasti A, Ferrer C, Bernal-Mañas CM, Morales E, Beltrán-Frutos E, Seco-Rovira V. Proliferation and apoptosis in aged and photoregressed mammalian seminiferous epithelium, with particular attention to rodents and humans. Reprod Domest Anim 2011; 46:155-64. [PMID: 20149139 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2009.01573.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Imbalances in the proliferation and apoptosis processes are involved in numerous epithelial alterations. In the seminiferous epithelium, normal spermatogenesis is regulated by spermatogonia proliferation and germ cell apoptosis, and both processes are involved in diverse pathological alterations of the seminiferous epithelium. Other physiological phenomena including aging and short photoperiod, in which apoptosis and proliferation seem to play important roles, cause testicular changes. Aging is accompanied by diminished proliferation and increased apoptosis, the latter occurring in specific states of the seminiferous cycle and considered the cause of epithelium involution. However, there is no clear evidence concerning whether proliferation decreases in the spermatogonia themselves or is due to an alteration in the cell microenvironment that surrounds them. As regards the factors that regulate the process, the data are scant, but it is considered that the diminution of c-kit expression in the spermatagonia, together with the diminution in antiapoptotic factors (Bcl-x(L))) of the intrinsic molecular pathway of apoptosis play a part in epithelial regression. A short photoperiod, especially in rodents, produces a gradual involution of the seminiferous epithelium, which is related with increased apoptosis during the regression phase and a diminution of apoptosis during recrudescence. Proliferative activity varies, especially during the total regression phase, when it usually increases in the undifferentiated spermatogonia. In other species showing seasonal reproduction, however, decreased proliferation is considered the main factor in the regression of the seminiferous epithelium. Little is known about how both phenomena are regulated, although data in rodents suggest that both the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of apoptosis contribute to the increase in this process. In conclusion, regression of the seminiferous epithelium in physiological situations, as in many pathological situations, is a result of alterations in equilibrium between the proliferation and apoptosis of germinal cell types. However, both physiological phenomena showed important differences as regard proliferation/apoptosis and their regulation pathways, probably as a result of their irreversible or reversible character.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Pastor
- Department of Cellular Biology and Histology, Aging Institute, Medical School, University of Murcia, Murcia, Spain.
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Dadhich RK, Real FM, Zurita F, Barrionuevo FJ, Burgos M, Jiménez R. Role of apoptosis and cell proliferation in the testicular dynamics of seasonal breeding mammals: a study in the Iberian mole, Talpa occidentalis. Biol Reprod 2010; 83:83-91. [PMID: 20357272 DOI: 10.1095/biolreprod.109.080135] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022] Open
Abstract
Apoptosis and cell proliferation are two important cellular processes known to be involved in the normal functioning of the testis in nonseasonally breeding mammals, but there is some controversy concerning their roles in the gonads of males from seasonally breeding species. We have studied the processes of apoptosis and cell proliferation in the testes of males of the Iberian mole (Talpa occidentalis), a species showing a strict seasonal reproduction pattern. Both males and females are sexually active during the winter and completely inactive in the summer, with two transitional periods, in the autumn and the spring. Adult males from these four reproductive stages were captured, and their testes were immunohistochemically studied for the presence of apoptotic and proliferation molecular markers as well for other testicular and meiotic cell-specific markers. We found that apoptosis varies in a season-dependent manner in the testes of male moles, affecting mainly late zygotene and pachytene cells during the period of sexual inactivity, but it does not differentially affect the number of Sertoli cells. More interestingly, apoptosis is not responsible for the massive germ-cell depletion occurring during mole testis regression. In addition, a wave of spermatogonial cell proliferation appears to restore the number of spermatogonia lost during the period of testis inactivity. According to current knowledge, data from moles indicate that mammals do not form a homogeneous group regarding the mechanisms by which the cell-content dynamics are regulated in the testes of males from seasonally breeding species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rajesh K Dadhich
- Departamento de Genética e Instituto de Biotecnología, Universidad de Granada, Centro de Investigación Biomédica, Granada, Spain
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Gündüz B, Karakaş A, Terzi H, Öner J, Serin E, Kükner A. The effect of pinealectomy and leptin hormone on the proliferation and apoptosis activation in Syrian hamster testis in different photoperiods. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2009; 32:343-52. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2008.00867.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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