Expression of Attractin in male reproductive tract of human and mice and its correlation with male reproduction

Inflammation is among the core causatives of male infertility. Despite male infertility being a serious global issue, “bits and pieces” of its complex etiopathology still remain missing. During inflammation, levels of proinflammatory mediators in the male reproductive tract are greater than usual. According to epidemiological research, in numerous cases of male infertility, patients suffer from acute or chronic inflammation of the genitourinary tract which typically occurs without symptoms. Inflammatory responses in the male genital system are inextricably linked to oxidative stress (OS). OS is detrimental to male fertility parameters as it causes oxidative damage to reproductive cells and intracellular components. Multifarious male infertility causative factors pave the way for impairing male reproductive functions via the common mechanisms of OS and inflammation, both of which are interlinked pathophysiological processes, and the occurrence of any one of them induces the other. Both processes may be simultaneously found in the pathogenesis of male infertility. Thus, the present article aims to explain the role of inflammation and OS in male infertility in detail, as well as to show the mechanistic pathways that link causative factors of male reproductive tract inflammation, OS induction, and oxidant-sensitive cellular cascades leading to male infertility.

Download Full-text

Expression of the secretory form of recombinant regucalcin ofBubalus bubalis in methylotropic yeast

Indian Journal of Animal Research ◽

10.18805/ijar.v0iof.7261 ◽

2017 ◽

Author(s):

S. K. Bhure ◽

P. Harikrishna ◽

J. Usharani ◽

A. M. Shende ◽

S. Harikumar

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Tract ◽

Amino Acid Level ◽

Initial Step ◽

Reproductive Organs ◽

Male Reproduction ◽

Male Reproductive Tract ◽

Multifunctional Protein ◽

Sds Page ◽

Ascorbic Acid Biosynthesis

Regucalcin is a multifunctional protein having an important role in calcium homeostasis, L-ascorbic acid biosynthesis, anti-prolific, anti-apoptotic functions as well as detoxification of chemical warfare nerve agents. Recently, it has been localized to male reproductive tract of rat and human, and identified as an androgen-target gene. The literature suggests a possible role of regucalcin in male fertility. However, no detailed studies have been conducted on its role in male reproductive organs of domestic animals. As an initial step, we had cloned and expressed regucalcin in Pichia pastoris. The sequence analysis showed 100% homology with regucalcin of Bos tours both at nucleotide and amino acid level. The SDS-PAGE and Western blot studies of recombinant protein probed with anti-regucalcin monoclonal antibody showed a higher molecular weight (56 kDa) than the expected (35.5 kDa) that could be due to hyperglycosylation. The recombinant regucalcin and its antibodies can be used to study the detailed role of the protein in male reproduction.

Download Full-text

Immunoregulation in the testis and its implication in fertility and infections

Exploration of Immunology ◽

10.37349/ei.2021.00021 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Kushaan Khambata ◽

Deepak Modi ◽

Satish Gupta

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Tract ◽

Viral Infections ◽

The Body ◽

Male Reproduction ◽

Human Testis ◽

Male Reproductive Tract ◽

Inflammatory Conditions ◽

Immunodeficiency Virus ◽

Sperm Antigens ◽

Sperm Antibodies

The testis is designated as one of the immune previleged sites in the body and harbours a unique immunoregulatory environment, which is important for preventing an immune response against sperm antigens which otherwise are recognized as “foreign” by the immune system. The blood-testis barrier along with the unique immune cells repertoire and various immunoregulatory & immunosuppressive factors secreted by the Leydig cells, Sertoli cells and peritubular cells act in concert to maintain the tolerogenic environment in the testis. Abberations in immunotolerant mechanisms in the testis can lead to generation of anti-sperm antibodies that have an association with male infertility. It can also lead to inflammatory conditions of the male reproductive tract manifested as epididymitis and orchitis, generally due to bacterial or viral infections. In addition, non-infectious epididymitis and orchitis, having autoimmune origin have also been reported in males. While the immune privilege status of human testis protects the germ cells from an immune attack, it can also make the testis a succeptible reservoir for viruses such as human immunodeficiency virus-1, Zika virus and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2, all of which have adverse consequences on male reproduction.

Download Full-text

Calcium transport in male reproduction is possibly influenced by vitamin D and CaSR

Journal of Endocrinology ◽

10.1530/joe-20-0321 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ida Marie Boisen ◽

John Erik Nielsen ◽

Lieve Verlinden ◽

Mette Lorenzen ◽

Rune Holt ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Vitamin D ◽

Calcium Transport ◽

Calcium Concentration ◽

Transient Receptor Potential ◽

Reproductive Tract ◽

Receptor Potential ◽

Male Reproduction ◽

Human Testis ◽

Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid ◽

Male Reproductive Tract

Vitamin D is important for gonadal function in rodents, and improvement of vitamin D status in men with low sperm counts increases live birth rate. Vitamin D is a regulator of transcellular calcium transport in the intestine and kidney and may influence the dramatic changes in the luminal calcium concentration in epididymis. Here, we show spatial expression in the male reproductive tract of vitamin D receptor (VDR)-regulated factors involved in calcium transport: Transient receptor potential vanilloid 5/6 (TRPV5/6), sodium/calcium exchanger 1 (NCX1), plasma membrane calcium ATPase 1 (PMCA1), calbindin D9k, calcium-sensing receptor (CaSR), and parathyroid hormone-related peptide (PTHrP) in mouse and human testis and epididymis. Testicular Casr expression was lower in Vdr ablated mice compared with controls. Moreover, expression levels of Casr and Pthrp were strongly correlated in both testis and epididymis and Pthrp was suppressed by 1,25(OH)2D3 in a spermatogonial cell line. The expression of CaSR in epididymis may be of greater importance than in the gonad in mice as germ cell-specific Casr deficient mice had no major reproductive phenotype, and coincubation with a CaSR-agonist had no effect on human sperm-oocyte binding. In humans, seminal calcium concentration between 5-10 mM was associated with a higher fraction of motile and morphologically normal sperm cells and the seminal calcium concentration was not associated with serum calcium levels. In conclusion, VDR regulates CaSR and PTHrP, and both factors may be involved in the regulation of calcium transport in the male reproductive tract with possible implications for sperm function and storage.

Download Full-text

Elimination of the male reproductive tract in the female embryo is promoted by COUP-TFII in mice

Yearbook of Paediatric Endocrinology ◽

10.1530/ey.15.6.11 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

Zhao F ◽

Franco HL ◽

Rodriguez KF ◽

Brown PR ◽

Tsai MJ ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Tract ◽

Female Embryo ◽

Male Reproductive Tract

Download Full-text

Tamoxifen inducible Cre systems: adverse effects of low dose tamoxifen treatments on the male reproductive tract

Reproduction Abstracts ◽

10.1530/repabs.1.p235 ◽

2014 ◽

Author(s):

Saloni H Patel ◽

Laura Milne ◽

Richard Sharpe ◽

Lee B Smith

Keyword(s):

Adverse Effects ◽

Low Dose ◽

Reproductive Tract ◽

Male Reproductive Tract

Download Full-text

The Effect of PDE5 Inhibitors on the Male Reproductive Tract

Current Pharmaceutical Design ◽

10.2174/1381612826666200226121510 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 26 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Nikolaos Sofikitis ◽

Aris Kaltsas ◽

Fotios Dimitriadis ◽

Jens Rassweiler ◽

Nikolaos Grivas ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Male Infertility ◽

Reproductive Tract ◽

Tunica Albuginea ◽

Scientific Data ◽

Secretory Function ◽

Pde5 Inhibitors ◽

Male Reproductive Tract ◽

Review Study ◽

Phosphodiesterase 5

The therapeutic range of cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors (PDE5) inhibitors is getting wider in the last years. This review study focuses on the potential employment of PDE5 inhibitors as an adjunct tool for the therapeutic management of male infertility. The literature tends to suggest a beneficial effect of PDE5 inhibitors on Leydig and Sertoli cells secretory function. It also appears that PDE5 inhibitors play a role in the regulation of the contractility of the testicular tunica albuginea and the epididymis. Moreover scientific data suggest that PDE5 inhibitors enhance the prostatic secretory function leading to an improvement in sperm motility. Other studies additionally demonstrate a role of PDE5 inhibitors in the regulation of sperm capacitation process. Placebo-controlled, randomized, blind studies are necessary to unambiguously incorporate PDE5 inhibitors as an adjunct tool for the pharmaceutical treatment of semen disorders and male infertility.

Download Full-text

Changes in the Male Reproductive Organs of the Dugong, Dugong dugon (Sirenia: Dugondidae) with Age and Reproductive Activity

Australian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1071/zo9840721 ◽

1984 ◽

Vol 32 (6) ◽

pp. 721 ◽

Cited By ~ 28

Author(s):

H Marsh ◽

GE Heinsohn ◽

TD Glover

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Tract ◽

Prostate Gland ◽

Reproductive Activity ◽

Reproductive Organs ◽

Seminal Vesicles ◽

Growth Layer ◽

Male Reproductive Tract ◽

Qualitative And Quantitative ◽

Quantitative Examination ◽

Testicular Histology

The anatomy and histology of the male reproductive tract of the dugong (Dugong dugon) is described. Each testis and its adjacent epididymis lie immediately caudal to the corresponding kidney. The seminal vesicles are large but there is no discrete prostate gland and the bulbo-urethral glands are also diffuse. Both qualitative and quantitative examination of the testes and epididymides of 59 males whose ages have been estimated from tusk dentinal growth layer counts indicate that the male dugong does not produce spermatozoa continuously, despite the absence of a distinct breeding season. Individual dugongs were observed with testes at all stages between complete quiescence and full spermatogenesis, and only 10 of the 40 mature males had fully spermatogenic testes and epididymides packed with spermatozoa. Androgenic and spermatogenic activity of the testes appeared to be in phase, but the testicular histology of some old males suggested that they may have been sterile for long periods.

Download Full-text