The changed immunolocalization of START-domain-containing 6 (StarD6) during the development of testes in rat perinatal hypothyroidism.
Thyroid hormones have an essential role in maintaining the normal developmental structure of testes during the neonatal stage. START-domain-containing 6 (StarD6) is exclusively expressed in germ cells during spermatogenesis; however, its biological role in rat perinatal hypothyroidism is not clear. After hypothyroidism was induced by daily administration of 0.05% 6-propyl-2-thiouracil (PTU), the pattern of StarD6 immunolocalization was examined from gestation day 15 to postnatal day 49. In normal rats, the labelling of StarD6 was confined to the germ cells from the third-week postpartum. In contrast, its immunoreactivity in hypothyroidal rats was not detected until the fourth-week postpartum. The immunolocalization pattern of StarD6 differed from that of normal adult rats during the seventh-week postpartum. StarD6 was clearly detected in the Leydig cells of the perinatal hypothyroid rats from the fifth-week postpartum. Therefore, StarD6 may play a pivotal role, not only in the spermatogenesis of normal rats, but also in the steroidogenesis of Leydig cells under perinatal hypothyroidism.
Chang
In-Youb
IY
Department of Anatomy, Chosun University School of Medicine, 375 Seosuk-Dong, Gwangju 501-759, Republic of Korea.
Shin
Song Yub
SY
Kim
Jung Woo
JW
Yu
Jae Mun
JM
Kim
Jin Sook
JS
Song
Peter I
PI
Yoon
Sang Pil
SP
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D002352:Carrier Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D003409:Congenital Hypothyroidism / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology*; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D006416:Hematoxylin; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D013737:Testis / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology
D002352:Carrier Proteins; C523101:StarD6 protein, rat; D004801:Eosine Yellowish-(YS); D006416:Hematoxylin