Department of Pathology, Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, People's Republic of China.
Cell Tissue Res. 2013 Jun;352(3):761-8. doi: 10.1007/s00441-013-1616-8. Epub 2013 Apr 21.
During acute or chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, the virus can invade the male reproductive system, pass through the blood-testis barrier and integrate into the germ line, resulting in abnormal spermatozoa. However, the pathway remains unclear. The asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGR), a potential receptor for HBV, is mainly distributed in hepatocytes. We have examined the distribution of ASGR in human testis and found it in the seminiferous tubules and interstitial region but its enrichment in human testis is much lower than that in liver. By multiple immunoenzyme histochemistry staining, ASGR was precisely co-localized with vimentin (Sertoli cell marker) but not proliferating cell nuclear antigen (spermatogonial cell marker) in testis tissue. ASGR was expressed in human Leydig cells, stromal cells in the seminiferous tubules and Sertoli cells but seldom in spermatogonial cells. Therefore, ASGR could provide HBV with access to the luminal compartment of human testis. The mechanism by which HBV invades germ cells remains unknown.
在急性或慢性乙型肝炎病毒 (HBV) 感染期间，病毒可以侵入男性生殖系统，穿过血睾屏障并整合到生殖系中，导致精子异常。然而，其途径尚不清楚。 唾液酸糖蛋白受体 (ASGR) 是 HBV 的潜在受体，主要分布在肝细胞中。我们检查了 ASGR 在人睾丸中的分布，发现它存在于生精小管和间质区域，但在睾丸中的富集程度远低于肝脏。通过多重免疫酶组织化学染色，ASGR 与波形蛋白（Sertoli 细胞标志物）而不是增殖细胞核抗原（精原细胞标志物）在睾丸组织中精确共定位。ASGR 在人睾丸间质细胞、生精小管的基质细胞和 Sertoli 细胞中表达，但在精原细胞中很少表达。因此，ASGR 可以为 HBV 进入人睾丸的管腔室提供途径。HBV 侵入生殖细胞的机制尚不清楚。
