白消安给药复制了缺乏睾丸-附睾旁分泌信号的小鼠附睾初始段观察到的特征。

Busulfan administration replicated the characteristics of the epididymal initial segment observed in mice lacking testis-epididymis lumicrine signaling.

机构信息

Japan Science and Technology Agency, Tokyo 102-0076, Japan.

Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Osaka 565-0871, Japan.

出版信息

J Reprod Dev. 2024 Apr 4;70(2):104-114. doi: 10.1262/jrd.2023-102. Epub 2024 Feb 9.

Abstract

The physiological functions of the mammalian epididymis are typically regulated by the testes. In addition to sex steroids secreted by testicular Leydig cells, which act on the epididymis in an endocrine manner, there is a non-sex-steroidal signaling pathway known as the lumicrine pathway. This lumicrine signaling pathway involves ligand proteins secreted from germ cells within the testicular seminiferous tubules traversing the male reproductive tract, which induce epithelial differentiation in the epididymis. These findings prompted an inquiry into whether treatments influencing testis physiology can disrupt epididymal function by interfering with testis-epididymis communication. Busulfan, an alkylating agent commonly used to deplete testicular germ cells in reproductive biology, has not been sufficiently explored because of its effects on the epididymis. This study investigated the effects of busulfan administration on the proximal epididymis using histological and transcriptomic analyses. Notably, busulfan, as opposed to the vehicle dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), altered the morphology of the initial segment of the epididymis, leading to a reduction in the cell height of the luminal epithelium. RNA sequencing identified 185 significantly downregulated genes in the proximal epididymis of busulfan-administered mice compared to DMSO-administered mice. Comparative transcriptome analyses revealed similarities between the epididymal transcriptome of busulfan-administered mice and lumicrine-deficient mice, such as efferent-duct-ligated W/Wv and Nell2 mice. However, this differed from that of bilaterally orchidectomized mice, in which both the endocrine and lumicrine signaling pathways were simultaneously ablated. Collectively, these results suggested that the harmful effects of busulfan on the proximal epididymis are secondary consequences of the ablation of testis-epididymis lumicrine signaling.

摘要

哺乳动物附睾的生理功能通常受睾丸调节。除了睾丸莱迪希细胞分泌的性激素以外,还有一种非甾体信号通路,称为亮氨酸信号通路。这种亮氨酸信号通路涉及从睾丸曲细精管中的生殖细胞分泌的配体蛋白穿过生殖道,诱导附睾上皮细胞分化。这些发现促使人们探究是否可以通过干扰睾丸-附睾通讯来破坏附睾功能。然而,由于其对附睾的影响,烷基化剂白消安(busulfan)作为一种常用的生殖生物学方法来耗尽睾丸生殖细胞,尚未得到充分的研究。本研究使用组织学和转录组学分析,调查了白消安给药对附睾近端的影响。值得注意的是,白消安(而非载体二甲亚砜(DMSO))改变了附睾初始段的形态,导致管腔上皮细胞的高度降低。RNA 测序发现,与 DMSO 给药组相比,白消安给药组小鼠的近端附睾中有 185 个基因显著下调。比较转录组分析显示,白消安给药组小鼠的附睾转录组与亮氨酸信号通路缺失的 W/Wv 和 Nell2 小鼠具有相似性,如输出导管结扎的 W/Wv 和 Nell2 小鼠。然而,这与双侧睾丸切除术的小鼠不同,双侧睾丸切除术同时消除了内分泌和亮氨酸信号通路。总之,这些结果表明,白消安对附睾近端的有害影响是睾丸-附睾亮氨酸信号通路消融的继发后果。

https://cdn.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/blobs/308c/11017096/87c005336cc9/jrd-70-104-g001.jpg

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