Expression and regulation of lipocalin-type prostaglandin d synthase in rat testis and epididymis.
Lipocalin-type prostaglandin D synthase (L-PGDS), a bifunctional protein, is expressed in the male reproductive organs of many species. However, the expression and regulation of L-PGDS in rat are still uncertain. The present study investigated the regionalization and regulation of L-PGDS expression in rat testis and epididymis by in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry under the conditions of sexual maturation, castration, and ethylene dimethane sulfonate (EDS) treatments. In sexually mature rats, L-PGDS mRNA was weakly expressed only in the testicular peritubular cells, whereas L-PGDS immunostaining was highly detected in the Leydig cells by Day 70 postpartum. During sexual maturation, L-PGDS mRNA expression was highly detected in the caput, corpus, and cauda of the epididymis 70 days after birth. Compared with normal L-PGDS expression in adult epididymis, both L-PGDS mRNA expression and protein immunostaining were significantly reduced in the caput, corpus, and cauda epididymis after castration. Testosterone propionate treatment induced a significant increase of L-PGDS expression in the epididymis of castrated rats. Compared with adult rat epididymis, L-PGDS mRNA and protein expression was down-regulated after EDS treatment. Testosterone propionate treatment could induce an increase of L-PGDS mRNA and protein expression in the epididymis of EDS-treated rats. In conclusion, both castration and EDS treatments caused a significant decrease of L-PGDS expression in the epididymis, whereas testosterone propionate treatment could induce an increase of L-PGDS expression in the epididymis of both castrated and EDS-treated rats, indicating that L-PGDS expression in the rat epididymis can be up-regulated by testosterone.
Zhu
Hui
H
College of Life Sciences, Northeast Agricultural University, Harbin 150030, China.
Ma
Hong
H
Ni
Hua
H
Ma
Xing-Hong
XH
Mills
Nathaniel
N
Yang
Zeng-Ming
ZM
D000818:Animals; D004822:Epididymis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D017403:In Situ Hybridization; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D054834:Lipocalins; D008297:Male; D008698:Mesylates / Q000494:pharmacology; D009919:Orchiectomy; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D043343:Testosterone Propionate / Q000494:pharmacology
D054834:Lipocalins; D008698:Mesylates; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D019746:Intramolecular Oxidoreductases; C022466:prostaglandin R2 D-isomerase; C002994:ethylene dimethanesulfonate; D043343:Testosterone Propionate