Comparative expression of laminin and smooth muscle actin in the testis and epididymis of poultry and rabbit

Abstract

The present investigation was conducted to demonstrate laminin and alpha smooth muscle actin (alphaSMA) in the testis and epididymis of adult chickens, Sudani ducks, pigeons, and rabbits. This study may represent the first indication for the presence of laminin in the male reproductive organs of birds and rabbits and might therefore serve as a milestone for further reports. In the testis of chicken, Sudani duck, pigeon, and rabbit, the laminin was localized in the basal lamina of the seminiferous tubules and of the peritubular myoid cells, in the testicular capsule and to a small extent in the vicinity of Leydig cells. The testicular vasculature also exhibited intense laminin immunostaining. Weak laminin staining was additionally seen in the cytoplasm of the duck Sertoli cells. In the epididymis, the basal lamina of the epididymal epithelium showed a distinctly positive reaction in all birds and rabbit. The basal lamina of the periductal myoid cells also showed a positive reaction. In the interductal tissue, laminin immunostaining was particularly observed in chicken, duck and pigeon. Laminin positive reaction was also seen in the epididymal vasculatures of all birds and rabbit. Interestingly, weak to moderate laminin staining was observed in the apical surface of the ciliated cells of the proximal and distal efferent ductules in chicken, duck and pigeon. alphaSMA positive reaction was seen in the testicular capsule and in the peritubular myoid cells of all birds and rabbit. In the testicular capsule, alphaSMA staining was either observed in the inner portion (chicken) or throughout the tunica albuginea (Sudani duck and pigeon), or in the outer aspect (rabbit). Distinct alphaSMA reaction was additionally observed in the testicular vasculature. In the epididymis of all birds and rabbit, the alphaSMA was particularly seen in the periductal and interductal myoid cells as well as in the epididymal vasculatures. No alphaSMA specific staining was however detected in the epididymal epithelium, fibrous lamina propria, and luminal spermatozoa of all birds and rabbits. In conclusion, the distribution of laminin and alphaSMA in the testis and epididymis might point out to their roles in the male reproduction.

Histological and immunohistochemical studies on the epididymal duct in the dromedary camel (Camelus dromedarius)

“…This agrees with the findings reported in the epididymal duct from different mammalian [2, 7, 9, 44] and avian species [44]. α-SMA is very significant to study SMCs differentiation under normal and pathological conditions [27].…”

Dicer1 Ablation in the Mouse Epididymis Causes Dedifferentiation of the Epithelium and Imbalance in Sex Steroid Signaling

“…It has previously been shown that cross talk between different cell types is essential for normal epididymal functions, and for example the communication between clear cells and other epithelial cell types is required to maintain luminal pH [33]. Interestingly, there are species-specific differences in thickness and distribution of the epididymal smooth muscle cell layer [34]–[36]. Further investigations regarding smooth muscle cell differentiation could thus benefit from comparative studies of different species.…”

Post-hatch Changes in the Immunoexpression of Desmin, Smooth Muscle Actin and Vimentin in the Testicular Capsule and Interstitial Tissue of the Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica)

“…In the current study, myoid cells in the tunica albuginea were characterized by the presence of desmin and SMA. These cytoskeletal proteins have also been immunolocalized in the tunica albuginea of other avian species including the domestic fowl (Maretta and Marettova, ; Abd‐Elmaksoud, ), ratites (Ozegbe et al., ) and masked weaver (Ozegbe et al., ).…”

“…Immunohistochemical and electron microscopy techniques have been used to demonstrate smooth muscle or myoid cells in the testicular capsule of mammalian (Hargrove et al., ; Chacon‐Arellano and Woolley, ; Santamaria et al., ; Banks et al., ) and avian species (Aire and Ozegbe, ; Ozegbe et al., , ). Myoid cells in the testicular capsules of birds have been shown to contain various cytoskeletal proteins including smooth muscle actin (SMA) (Maretta and Marettova, ; Abd‐Elmaksoud, ; Ozegbe et al., ), desmin (Maretta and Marettova, ; Ozegbe et al., ) and vimentin (Aire and Ozegbe, ; Ozegbe et al., ).…”