Zhu Hui, Ma Hong, Ni Hua, Ma Xing-Hong, Mills Nathaniel, Yang Zeng-Ming
College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
Endocrine. 2004 Jun;24(1):39-45. doi: 10.1385/ENDO:24:1:039.
Lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS) is highly expressed in the adult testis and epididymis of many mammals. The present study was to investigate L-PGDS expression in mouse testis and epididymis during sexual maturation, and the effects of testosterone replacement on L-PGDS expression in epididymis by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry. Both L-PGDS mRNA and protein were highly expressed in the interstitial tissue of adult testis. L-PGDS mRNA was first detected on d 30 after birth and exhibited an abundant signal in adult caput and cauda epididymis. L-PGDS immunostaining was first observed on d 30 after birth. There was a strong level of L-PGDS immunostaining in adult epididymis. Castrated male mice were treated with either vehicle or testosterone propionate following 3 d postcastration. L-PGDS expression steadily declined in a time-dependent fashion in control groups. No L-PGDS mRNA expression or immunostaining was detected in the controls for 12 d. When the castrated mice were treated with testosterone propionate for 5 or 12 d, L-PGDS expression was significantly increased in the whole epididymis. These data suggest that L-PGDS expression in mouse epididymis gradually declined in parallel to the declining concentration of endogenous androgen after castration and increased with the treatment of exogenous testosterone, indicating that L-PGDS expression in mouse epididymis was modulated by androgen levels. However, differential expression in different areas of the epididymis may also be influenced by factors derived from the testis.
脂联素型前列腺素D合成酶（L-PGDS）在许多哺乳动物的成年睾丸和附睾中高表达。本研究旨在通过原位杂交和免疫组织化学方法，研究性成熟过程中小鼠睾丸和附睾中L-PGDS的表达情况，以及睾酮替代对附睾中L-PGDS表达的影响。L-PGDS mRNA和蛋白在成年睾丸的间质组织中均高表达。L-PGDS mRNA在出生后第30天首次被检测到，在成年附睾头和附睾尾中呈现丰富的信号。L-PGDS免疫染色在出生后第30天首次观察到。成年附睾中有较强水平的L-PGDS免疫染色。去势雄性小鼠在去势后3天，分别用溶剂或丙酸睾酮处理。对照组中L-PGDS表达呈时间依赖性稳步下降。在12天内，对照组中未检测到L-PGDS mRNA表达或免疫染色。当去势小鼠用丙酸睾酮处理5天或12天时，整个附睾中L-PGDS表达显著增加。这些数据表明，去势后小鼠附睾中L-PGDS表达随着内源性雄激素浓度的下降而逐渐降低，而外源性睾酮处理则使其表达增加，这表明小鼠附睾中L-PGDS表达受雄激素水平调节。然而，附睾不同区域的差异表达也可能受来自睾丸的因素影响。
