Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Ambientali, Biologiche e Farmaceutiche, Università della Campania L. Vanvitelli, Via Vivaldi 43, 81100 Caserta, Italy.
Dipartimento di Scienze, Università della Basilicata, Via dell'Ateneo Lucano 10, 85100 Potenza, Italy.
Biomolecules. 2019 Sep 3;9(9):445. doi: 10.3390/biom9090445.
This article reviews the animal models and experimental designs that have been used during the past twenty years to demonstrate the prominent role played by d-aspartate (d-Asp) in the reproduction of vertebrates, from amphibians to humans. We have tabulated the findings of in vivo and in vitro experiments that demonstrate the effects of d-Asp uptake on hormone production and gametogenesis in vertebrate animal models. The contribution of each animal model to the existing knowledge on the role of d-Asp in reproductive processes has been discussed. A critical analysis of experimental designs has also been carried out. Experiments performed on wild animal species suggest a role of d-Asp in the mechanisms that regulate the reproductive cycle. Several in vivo and in vitro studies carried out on mouse and rat models have facilitated an understanding of the molecular pathways activated by D-Asp in both steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis, with particular emphasis on testosterone biosynthesis. Some attempts using d-Asp for the improvement of reproductive activity in animals of commercial interest have yielded mixed results. The increased transcriptome activity of enzymes and receptors involved in the reproductive activity in d-Asp-treated broiler roosters revealed further details on the mechanism of action of d-Asp on the reproductive processes. The close relationship between d-Asp and reproductive activity has emerged, particularly in relation to its effects exerted on semen quality, proposing therapeutic applications of this amino acid in andrology and in medically-assisted procreation techniques.
本文综述了过去二十年来用于证明天冬氨酸（d-Asp）在从两栖动物到人等脊椎动物繁殖中发挥重要作用的动物模型和实验设计。我们列出了体内和体外实验的结果，这些实验证明了 d-Asp 摄取对脊椎动物模型中激素产生和配子发生的影响。讨论了每个动物模型对现有关于 d-Asp 在生殖过程中作用的知识的贡献。还对实验设计进行了批判性分析。对野生动物种进行的实验表明，d-Asp 在调节生殖周期的机制中起作用。在老鼠模型上进行的几项体内和体外研究有助于理解 D-Asp 在类固醇生成和精子发生中激活的分子途径，特别强调了睾酮的生物合成。一些使用 d-Asp 来改善商业上有价值的动物生殖活性的尝试得到了喜忧参半的结果。d-Asp 处理的肉鸡公鸡中参与生殖活动的酶和受体的转录组活性增加，进一步揭示了 d-Asp 对生殖过程作用的机制细节。d-Asp 与生殖活性之间的密切关系已经显现出来，特别是在其对精液质量的影响方面，这为该氨基酸在男科和医学辅助生殖技术中的治疗应用提供了依据。
