title: [Effect of PFT-α on apoptosis of spermatogenic cells caused by enorchia].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the molecular mechanism of germ cell apoptosis via investigating the effect of PFT-α on the expression of p53 and bcl-2/bax during experimental cryptorchid cell apoptosis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Male Sprague-Dawley rats were assigned into 4 groups: a sham-operated group, a cryptorchid group, a cryptorchid+p53 inhibitor (p53 inhibitor-alpha, PFT-α) group, and a cryptorchid+dissolvent of PFT-α [dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO)] group. Unilateral cryptorchidism was surgically induced in the rats of the cryptorchid group, PFT-α group, and cryptorchid+dissolvent of PFT-α group. The rats in the PFT-α group and cryptorchid+dissolvent of PFT-α group were intra-peritoneally injected PFT-α and dissolvent of PFT-α, respectively, once a day. The rats were killed on the 7th day after the surgery. The morphology of spermatogenic epithelium at the side of surgery in the rats was observed under light microscope. The apoptosis of spermatogenic cells in the unilateral cryptorchidism was evaluated by TUNEL and flow cytometry (FCM). The protein expression levels of p53, bcl-2, and Bax were detected by Western blot and immunohistochemical assay in turn.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Compared with the cryptorchid groups and the cryptorchid+dissolvent of PFT-α group, the seminiferous epithelium of the cryptorchid+p53 inhibitor group appeared orderly, with thicker cell layers and lower apoptosis index, weak protein expression level of p53/Bax and strong protein expression level of bcl-2.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  PFT-α inhibits the germ cell apoptosis caused by the experimental cryptorchidism via increasing the expression of bcl-2 and decreasing the expression of p53 and bax.
authors.affiliation: Department of Basic Medicine, Changsha Health Vocational College, Changsha 410100, China.
authors.forename: Li
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Xie
authors.forename: Liping
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Zhiying
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.forename: Jinfeng
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Shi
authors.forename: Zhifeng
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Long
authors.forename: Yuanjie
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Xie
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D052160:Benzothiazoles / Q000494:pharmacology*; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000473:pathology*; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*; D014050:Toluene / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D052160:Benzothiazoles; D014050:Toluene; C121565:pifithrin