title: Involvement of Fas/Fas-L and Bax/Bcl-2 systems in germ cell death following immunization with syngeneic testicular germ cells in mice.
abstract: Experimental autoimmune orchitis (EAO) is characterized by T cell-dependent  lymphocytic inflammation and seminiferous tubule damage, which can result in  the death of germ cells. The aim of the present study is to investigate the  roles of the Fas/Fas-L and Bax/Bcl-2 systems in the death of germ cells in  mice with EAO that is induced by immunization with syngeneic testicular germ  cells (TGC). The results using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase  chain reaction and immunostaining show that many terminal deoxynucleotidyl  transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling staining germ cells were present  in seminiferous tubules during the active inflammation stage, and these cells  were persistently observed in the seminiferous epithelium until the postactive  inflammation stage. Intratesticular mRNA expression levels of both Fas and Bax  were increased during the active inflammation stage and were dramatically  decreased during the post-active inflammation stage. In contrast, the  intratesticular mRNA expression levels of both Fas-L and Bcl-2 did not show  significant changes during the active inflammation stage but showed extreme  increases during the post-active inflammation stage. Immunohistochemically,  some Fas- and Bax-positive germ cells were detected during the active  inflammation stage, but these were hardly found during the post-active  inflammation stage. In contrast, some Fas-L- and Bcl-2-positive germ cells  were found during the active inflammation stage, and many of these were also  observed during the post-active inflammation stage. These results indicate  that germ cell death during TGC-induced EAO is mediated by the Fas/Fas-L and  Bax/Bcl-2 systems during the active inflammation stage but not during the  post-active inflammation stage.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Tokyo Medical University, 6-1-1 Shinjuku, Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo 160-8402, Japan.
authors.forename: Maimaiti
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kuerban
authors.forename: Munekazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Naito
authors.forename: Shuichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Hayato
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Terayama
authors.forename: Ning
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Qu
authors.forename: Muhetaerjiang
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Musha
authors.forename: Ayumi
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ikeda
authors.forename: Takehiko
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Koji
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Itoh
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015551:Autoimmunity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D007114:Immunization; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D020287:In Situ Nick-End Labeling; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D009920:Orchitis / Q000235:genetics / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D060888:Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D015398:Signal Transduction; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D013737:Testis / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D013997:Time Factors; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: C494827:Bax protein, mouse; D053222:Fas Ligand Protein; C491899:Fas protein, mouse; C505658:Fasl protein, mouse; D011518:Proto-Oncogene Proteins; D019253:Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-bcl-2; D051028:bcl-2-Associated X Protein; D019014:fas Receptor; C052617:Bcl2 protein, mouse