Effect of Gosha-Jinki-Gan on Levels of Specific mRNA Transcripts in Mouse Testes after Busulfan Treatment

Abstract

With the increase in survival rates of cancer patients in recent years, infertility caused by anticancer treatments has become a significant concern for cancer survivors. Some studies have suggested that Sertoli cells play a key role in mediating testicular immunology in busulfan-induced aspermatogenesis. We recently demonstrated that Gosha-jinki-gan (TJ107), a traditional Japanese medicine, can completely recover injured spermatogenesis in mice 60 days after busulfan injection. In the present study, we sought to examine the levels of mRNA transcripts encoding markers of 25 Sertoli cell-specific products and 10 markers of germ cell differentiation. Our results demonstrated that only supplementation of TJ107 at day 60 after busulfan injection could significantly recover the increase in five mRNA species (Amh, Clu, Shbg, Testin, and Il1a) and the decrease in four mRNA species (Aqp8, CST9, Wnt5a, and Tjp1) in response to Busulfan (BSF) at day 120, with the increase of all examined spermatogenic markers.

Changes in Expression of Specific mRNA Transcripts after Single- or Re-Irradiation in Mouse Testes

“…Similar reports have demonstrated that clusterin ( Clu ) is secreted by Sertoli cells and deposited onto the membranes of elongating spermatids and mature spermatozoa [ 46 , 47 ]. Recently, we demonstrated that Testin and Clu mRNA species increased with germ cell depletion by busulfan treatment and restored with completely recovered spermatogenesis [ 48 ]. In the present study, we further demonstrated that AQP8, Testin , and Clu mRNA species were significantly increased following germ cell depletion by re-irradiation treatment.…”