title: Influence of a leptin deficiency on testicular morphology, germ cell apoptosis, and expression levels of apoptosis-related genes in the mouse.
abstract: Leptin-deficient (ob/ob) male mice are morbidly obese and exhibit impaired reproductive function. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of a leptin deficiency on testicular morphology, germ cell development, apoptotic activity within germ cells, and expression levels of apoptosis-related genes in the testis. Sixteen week-old ob/ob male mice (n = 8) and controls (n = 8) were killed, and their reproductive organs were weighed. Testes were processed for either histomorphological analysis (hematoxylin and eosin [H&E] staining), germ cell apoptosis assessment (deoxy-UTP-digoxigenin nick end labeling [TUNEL] method), or apoptosis-related gene expression analysis (microarray). Cross sections of the testes of leptin-deficient animals showed reduced seminiferous tubule area, fewer pachytene spermatocytes, and fewer tubules exhibiting elongated spermatids/mature spermatozoa. Condensation of germ cell nuclei and Sertoli cell vacuolization were evident in the testes of some ob/ob animals. Overall there was an elevation of apoptotic activity in the germ cells of ob/ob mice, particularly within the pachytene spermatocytes. With microarray technology, we identified 9 proapoptosis-related genes that were expressed at a significantly higher level in the testes of ob/ob mice than in the testes of the controls. Among these were members of the tumor necrosis factor receptor super family 1A and 5 (TNFR1 and 5) and peptidoglycan recognition proteins (associated with the extrinsic apoptotic pathway), and granzymes A and B, growth arrest and DNA damage inducible 45 gamma, sphingosine phosphate lyase 1, and caspase 9 (associated with the intrinsic apoptotic pathway). The results of the current study show that a leptin deficiency in mice is associated with impaired spermatogenesis, increased germ cell apoptosis, and up-regulated expression of proapoptotic genes within the testes.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology and Cooperative Reproductive Science Research Center, Morehouse School of Medicine, 720 Westview Drive SW, Atlanta, Georgia 30310, USA.
authors.forename: Ganapathy K
authors.initials: GK
authors.lastname: Bhat
authors.forename: Tamika L
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Sea
authors.forename: Moshood O
authors.initials: MO
authors.lastname: Olatinwo
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Simorangkir
authors.forename: Gregory D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Byron D
authors.initials: BD
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: David R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Mann
mesh_terms: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis / Q000235:genetics*; D001835:Body Weight; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D020738:Leptin / Q000172:deficiency* / Q000235:genetics*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D009929:Organ Size; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000166:cytology
chemical_list: D020413:3' Untranslated Regions; D020738:Leptin