[Effect of intra-testicular testosterone withdrawal on the expression of alpha-catenin in the adult rat testis].
OBJECTIVE
To study the expression of alpha-catenin in the rat testis after intra-testicular testosterone withdrawal induced by injection of testosterone undecanoate (TU).


METHODS
Ten adult male SD rats received vehicle (n = 5 ) or TU (19 mg/kg every 15 days, n = 5) for 130 days. Paraffin-embedded testicular sections were used for immunohistochemistry against a polyclonal anti-alpha-catenin antibody.


RESULTS
In the control, alpha-catenin was expressed in the acrosome of spermatids and the cytoplasm of Leydig cells and peritubular myoid cells. In the TU-treated rat testis, Leydig cells were atrophied and the expression of alpha-catenin was markedly decreased or absent, but there was no evident change in the immunostaining of spermatids or myoid cells.


CONCLUSIONS
Intra-testicular testosterone withdrawal-induced looser arrangement or sloughing of spermatogenic cells is not related to the adhesion molecule alpha-catenin. Alpha-catenin may be used as a cell identification marker for Leydig cells.
Zhang
Ren-Dong
RD
Department of Histology and Embryology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China.
Yin
Jin-Qi
JQ
Zhao
Yuan-Yu
YY
Guo
Yang
Y
Wang
Ya-Ping
YP
Yang
Zheng-Wei
ZW
D000818:Animals; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051178:alpha Catenin / Q000096:biosynthesis*
D051178:alpha Catenin; D013739:Testosterone; C010792:testosterone undecanoate