title: Gene expression changes of urokinase plasminogen activator and urokinase receptor in rat testes at postnatal stages.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the gene expression changes of urokinase plasminogen activator (uPA)/urokinase receptor (uPAR) in rat testes at postnatal stages and explore the effects of uPA/uPAR system on the rat spermatogenesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  The mRNAs of uPA and uPAR in rat testes were measured by using real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) at postnatal days 0, 5, 10, 15, 21, 28, 35, 42, 49 and 56, respectively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The tendencies of uPA and uPAR mRNA expression were similar at most postnatal stages except for D(0). The expression of uPAR mRNA in rats testes was relatively higher than that of uPA at postnatal D(0), and both were decreased until D(21), increased obviously at postnatal D(28), reached a peak at postnatal D(35), then declined sharply at postnatal D(42) and retained at a low level afterwards.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The uPA/uPAR system may be strongly linked to spermiation and spermatogenesis via regulating germ cell migration and proliferation, as well as promoting the spermiation and detached residual bodies from the mature spermatids.
authors: Family Planning Research Institute, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
authors: Dong-Hui
authors: DH
authors: Huang
authors: Hu
authors: H
authors: Zhao
authors: Yong-Hong
authors: YH
authors: Tian
authors: Hong-Gang
authors: HG
authors: Li
authors: Xiao-Fang
authors: XF
authors: Ding
authors: Cheng-Liang
authors: CL
authors: Xiong
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn; D018507:Gene Expression Regulation, Developmental; D015971:Gene Expression Regulation, Enzymologic; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D051381:Rats; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface / Q000235:genetics*; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D013091:Spermatogenesis; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000201:enzymology / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator / Q000235:genetics*
chemical_list: C524900:Plaur protein, rat; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator