Gene expression changes of urokinase plasminogen activator and urokinase receptor in rat testes at postnatal stages.
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.
Huang
Dong-Hui
DH
Family Planning Research Institute, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.
Zhao
Hu
H
Tian
Yong-Hong
YH
Li
Hong-Gang
HG
Ding
Xiao-Fang
XF
Xiong
Cheng-Liang
CL
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*
C524900:Plaur protein, rat; D011956:Receptors, Cell Surface; D055293:Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator; D014568:Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator