Correlation of expression of preprothyrotropin-releasing hormone and receptor with rat testis development.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression regulation of thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH) and TRH receptor (TRH-R), and their role in the development of rat testis.


METHODS
Oligonucleotide primers were designed from the sequences of rat hypothalamus prepro TRH (ppTRH) and pituitary TRH-R cDNA for reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Specific fragments of ppTRH and TRH-R cDNA were cloned and sequenced. Expression plasmids containing ppTRH and TRH-R genes were then constructed, and expression was found in E. coli DH5-alpha. ppTRH and TRH-R mRNA in the testis was quantitated in RNA samples prepared from rats at different developmental stages by real time quantitative RT-PCR.


RESULTS
The quantitative analyses demonstrated that no ppTRH and TRH mRNA could be detected at the earliest stage (day 8). ppTRH and TRH mRNA signals were detected on day 15 and increased progressively on days 20, 35, 60 and 90.


CONCLUSIONS
Our results suggest that rat testis could specifically express TRH and TRH-R, and the transcriptions of ppTRH and TRH-R genes in the rat testis were development-dependent. The acquirement of expressed products for ppTRH and TRH-R can be used for further research on the physiological significance of TRH and TRH-R expression in rat testis.
Li
Zhen
Z
Department of Histology and Embryology, Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an 710032, China.
Zhang
Yuanqiang
Y
Liu
Xinping
X
Xu
Ruojun
R
D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D008297:Male; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D018025:Receptors, Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000235:genetics*; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D013737:Testis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000235:genetics*
D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D018025:Receptors, Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone; C063596:prepro-thyrotropin-releasing hormone; D013973:Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone