Immunohistochemical quantitative study of the peritubular lamina propria after induction of testicular atrophy induced by epinephrine

Abstract

Changes in the testicular peritubular lamina propria in rats treated for 1-1 1 weeks with intra-scrota1 injections of epinephrine were studied by quantitative immunohistochemical methods. In control testes, BrdU-labelled nuclei (proliferating cells) were observed only in spermatogonia and some primary spermatocytes, whereas testes from epinephrine-treated rats showed BrdU labelling in some of the spermatogonia and in peritubular cells. Immunostaining for transforming growth factor 131 (TGF-P1) was present in germ cells, Sertoli cells and Leydig cells; vimentin immunostaining was found mainly in Sertoli cells; desmin immunostaining was found in the peritubular cells, and immunostaining for type IV collagen, laminin and fibronectin was found in the extracellular matrix of the lamina propria. The volume densities of seminiferous tubules (including seminiferous epithelium, lamina propria and tubular lumen) that immunostained for TGF-P1 , vimentin, laminin, desmin or fibronectin were calculated. All of these parameters increased significantly in testes from epinephrine-treated animals during the course of the experiment, except for desmin immunostaining which showed no significant change in volume density. Since total seminiferous tubule volume decreased markedly in the testes of treated rats during the experiment, the transformation of relative values for immunostaining into absolute volumes per testis revealed a significant increase in TGF-PI immunostaining, no significant change in vimentin' immunostaining, and a significant decrease in desmin immunostaining during the time of the study. The absolute volume occupied by laminin and fibronectin immunostaining decreased from the 3rd to the 8th weeks of treatment, and increased from the 8th to the 11th weeks. These changes, associated with germ cell depletion and tubular fibrosis, suggest that tubular ischaemic atrophy caused by epinephrine alters the peritubular myoid cells, which change immunophenotype and increase their secretion of the extracellular matrix components producing tubular fibrosis. The mechanism of this alteration may involve direct effects on the peritubular cells or the changes may be secondary to germ cell and/or Sertoli cell lesions.

Immunosuppressant Prograf® (Tacrolimus) Induces Histopathological Disorders in the Peritubular Tissue of Rat Testes

“…In addition, the layer of the type I collagen fibrils between the epithelial basal lamina and the myoid cell was thickened. Similar findings have been reported under different testicular pathological conditions [Kerr et al, 1979;Söderstrom, 1986;Santamaría et al, 1995;Zarnescu and Zamfirescu, 2006]. However, the largest cause of these alterations has not been clarified.…”

“…These cells are also responsible for the synthesis of the type I collagen fibril layer between the myoid cells and the epithelium Raychoudhury et al, 1992]. The enlargement of this layer has been associated with altered myoid cells that produce tubular fibrosis [Santamaría et al, 1995;Zarnescu and Zamfirescu, 2006]. According to Söderstrom [1986], this alteration occurs during testicular hyalinization, a pathological process during which the myoid cells are disorganized, and leads to an elliptical/ovoid shape and nuclear fragmentation [Haider et al, 1999].…”

Innervation and Immunohistochemical Characteristics of Epididymis in Alpaca Camelid (Vicugna Pacos)

“…The autonomic innervation plays a key role in regulation of male genital functions. Anatomical, pharmacological and physiological data (Hib, 1976;Laitinen and Talo, 1981;Pholpramool and Triphon, 1984;Mirabella et al, 2006Mirabella et al, , 2008Squillacioti et al, 2008Squillacioti et al, , 2009 suggest that the role of adrenergic and cholinergic inner- (Farrel and Lyman, 1937;Sjostrand, 1965;Mirabella et al, 2007) and blood flow (Baumgarten and Holstein, 1968;Kuwahara and Frick, 1974;Damber et al, 1982;Billups et al, 1990;Santamaria et al, 1995). Epithelial exo/endocytic events and ionic exchange between cellular and luminal compartments are other processes that are influenced by autonomic innervations (Mayerhofer et al, 1992;Chan et al, 1994;Kempinas et al, 1995;Lamano-Carvalho et al, 1996;Zhu et al, 1998).…”

Analysis of the mRNA expression of the TGF‐Beta family in testicular cells and localization of the splice variant TGF‐β2B in testis

“…The TGF-bs and their high-affinity receptors are almost ubiquitously expressed in most tissues including the testis (Lui et al, 2003a). Within the rat testis, TGF-b1 was found in pubertal and adult Sertoli cells, spermatocytes (Teerds and Dorrington, 1993;Gautier et al, 1994;Santamaria et al, 1995) and round spermatids (Santamaria et al, 1995), except for stage VIII to IX (Teerds and Dorrington, 1993). In Leydig cells TGF-b1 was clearly expressed in pubertal stages (Teerds and Dorrington, 1993) but was only faint in adult Leydig cells (Teerds and Dorrington, 1993;Santamaria et al, 1995).…”