title: Erythropoietin non-viral gene therapy does not affect motility, viability, morphology or concentration of rabbit sperm.
abstract: Erythropoietin (EPO) gene therapy can be used for several purposes; however, its effects on reproductive performance are unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the toxicological effects of non-viral (EPO) gene transfer on sperm motility, viability, morphology and concentration. Rabbit EPO cDNA was cloned into a pTarget mammalian expression vector. Rabbits were administered with: (1) pTarget/EPO vector, (2) recombinant human EPO (rHuEpo) and (3) saline (control). Both pTarget/EPO and rHuEpo significantly increased (P < 0.05) hematocrit levels 1 week after injection and they remained significantly higher than the control for up to 5 weeks (P < 0.05), showing that both EPO treatments were effective in stimulating the production of red blood cells in rabbits. The EPO gene transfer or rHuEPO administration had no significant effect (P > 0.05) on sperm motility, vigor, viability, concentration or morphology in the testis.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pelotas, Campus Universitário, Pelotas, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. collares.t@gmail.com
authors.forename: T F
authors.initials: TF
authors.lastname: Collares
authors.forename: V F
authors.initials: VF
authors.lastname: Campos
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Urtiaga
authors.forename: P M M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Leon
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Amaral
authors.forename: C P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Hartleben
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: McBride
authors.forename: O A
authors.initials: OA
authors.lastname: Dellagostin
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Deschamps
authors.forename: F K
authors.initials: FK
authors.lastname: Seixas
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Collares
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003001:Cloning, Molecular; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000235:genetics*; D015316:Genetic Therapy / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary*; D006367:HeLa Cells; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011817:Rabbits; D013081:Sperm Motility / Q000502:physiology*; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000166:cytology* / Q000502:physiology*; D013737:Testis
chemical_list: D004921:Erythropoietin