title: Inhibition of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator by triplex-forming oligonucleotides in rat Sertoli cells: a new contraceptive alternative?
abstract: Urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), expressed in Sertoli cells in the testis, is closely related with tight junctions of blood-testis barrier (BTB), and it has been considered as a potential contraceptive target. In the present study, the antigene effects of triplex-forming oligodeoxynucleotides (TFO) targeting uPA in rat Sertoli cells were investigated in vitro. The stable triplexes, formed by uPA specific TFOs under physiological conditions, were tested by means of electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA). Although tPA, another form of plasminogen activators (PAs), partially compensated the lose of PAs activities, uPA mRNA and protein were significantly reduced as demonstrated by real-time reverse transcription PCR and a chromogenic assay, after the treatment of Sertoli cells with uPA specific TFOs at a concentration of 330 nM. The capacity of TFOs resistance to nuclease degradation was enhanced by the phosphorothioated on the backbone of the oligonucleotides. Our results indicated that the TFOs can downregulate uPA expression and uPA might be an alternative contraceptive target.
authors.affiliation: Center of Reproductive Medicine, Institute of Family Planning Research, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong Science and Technology University, Wuhan, Hubei Province, 430030, People's Republic of China.
authors.forename: Yong-Hong
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Cheng-Liang
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Hong
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Wan
authors.forename: Dong-Hui
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Huang-Tao
authors.initials: HT
authors.lastname: Guan
authors.forename: Xiao-Fang
authors.initials: XF
authors.lastname: Ding
authors.forename: Xue-Jun
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: Shang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001483:Base Sequence; D003267:Contraception; D024202:Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay; D020868:Gene Silencing; D008297:Male; D008969:Molecular Sequence Data; D009841:Oligonucleotides / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D011401:Promoter Regions, Genetic; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000201:enzymology*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000235:genetics* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D009841:Oligonucleotides; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator