[Expressions of cadherin molecules CDH18 and PCDH17 in human azoospermic testes].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expressions of cadherin molecules CDH18 and PCDH17 in normal and azoospermic human testes and their significance.


METHODS
We studied the routine pathological slices of normal and non-obstructive azoospermic human testis tissues for changes in the tight junction of Sertoli-germ cells, and identified the differential gene expression profiles of the normal and azoospermic testis tissues using cDNA microarrays containing multiple cadherin molecules. The results were confirmed by Western blot.


RESULTS
Abnormal tight junction of the Sertoli-germ cells was observed in 37.5% of the azoospermic testis samples, and obvious changes were seen in the expressions of some cadherin molecules, with down-regulation of CDH18 and PCDH17.


CONCLUSIONS
Cadherin molecules such as CDH18 and PCDH17 may play a certain role in the development and progression of azoospermia, which might be related with the abnormal tight junction of the Sertoli-germ cells.
Yang
Bo
B
Department of Urology, Xifing Hospital, The Fourth Military Medical University, Xi'an, Shaanxi 710033, China. drboyung@yahoo.com.cn
Yuan
Jian-Lin
JL
Gao
Xiao-Kang
XK
Liu
He-Liang
HL
Qin
Wei-Jun
WJ
Shao
Chen
C
Liu
Fei
F
Kang
Fu-Xia
FX
D000328:Adult; D053713:Azoospermia / Q000378:metabolism*; D015820:Cadherins / Q000378:metabolism*; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D015536:Down-Regulation; D020869:Gene Expression Profiling; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020411:Oligonucleotide Array Sequence Analysis; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000378:metabolism*; D019108:Tight Junctions; D055815:Young Adult
C104822:CDH18 protein, human; D015820:Cadherins; C529349:PCDH17 protein, human