In:
Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, Springer Science and Business Media LLC, Vol. 8, No. 1 ( 2010-12)
Abstract:
In non-obstructive azoospermia, histological patterns of Sertoli cell-only Syndrome (SCO) and hypospermatogenesis (H) are commonly found. In these pathologies, Leydig cell hyperplasia (LCH) is detected in some patients. Since TGF-β1 is involved in cellular proliferation/development, the aim of this work was to analyze the expression of TGF-β1, its receptors TGFBRII, TGFBRI (ALK-1 and ALK-5), and the co-receptor endoglin in human biopsies from patients with idiopathic infertility. Methods Specific immunostaining of TGF-β1, its receptors TGFBRII, TGFBRI (ALK-1 and ALK-5), co-receptor endoglin and Smads proteins, were carried out in testicular biopsies from normal and infertile men with SCO or H. Gene expression of TGF-β1 system were made in biopsies from infertile patients with semi-quantitative and quantitative PCR. Results Immunohistochemical studies revealed that TGF-β1 and its specific receptors are present in Leydig cells in biopsies from normal tissue or patients with SCO or H with or without LCH. Smad proteins, which are involved in TGF-β1 signaling, are also detected in both their phosphorylated (activated) and dephosphorylated form in all samples TGF-β1, ALK-1 and endoglin gene expression are stronger in human biopsies with LCH than in those with SCO or H. Neither TGFBRII nor ALK-5 gene expression showed significant differences between pathologies. A significant correlation between ALK-1 and endoglin expression was observed. Conclusions In conclusion, the high levels of mRNA and protein expression of the TGF-β1 system in patients with LCH, particularly ALK1 and its correlation with endoglin , suggest that these proteins acting in concert might be, at least in part, committed actors in the Leydig cell hyperplasia.
Type of Medium:
Online Resource
ISSN:
1477-7827
DOI:
10.1186/1477-7827-8-148
Language:
English
Publisher:
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Publication Date:
2010
detail.hit.zdb_id:
2119215-7
SSG:
12
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