title: The effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on ghrelin expression in rat testis: biochemical and immunohistochemical study.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Ghrelin is a hormone which has effects on the secretion of growth hormone, gastrointestinal system, cardiovascular system, cell proliferation and reproductive system. The present study we focused on the relation between ghrelin and GHS-R1a gene expression and the regulation of their expression in the testes of diabetic rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  40 male Wistar albino rats were divided into four groups: control, and sampled 4, 8 and 12 weeks after induction of diabetes by streptozotocin (STZ) intraperitoneal injection (40 mg/kg). The rats were decapitated under ketamine anesthesia and their testes were removed. Blood was obtained from heart and serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and testosterone levels were measured by ELISA. Tissue ghrelin and GHS-R mRNA levels were determined by qRT-PCR, while ghrelin protein expression was studied by immunohistochemistry. Histopathological damage scores were also assessed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Eight weeks after diabetes induction serum FSH level was increased, whereas LH and testosterone concentrations decreased. The ghrelin and GHS-R1a gene expression and ghrelin immunohistochemistry score first tended to increase after first four weeks of diabetes, and then tended to decrease. Ghrelin-immunopositive cells were detected in Leydig cells in all groups of rats, however, not in the germinal epithelium. Congestion of vessels and hemorrhage, formation of the vacuoles in spermatogonia and spermatocytes, desquamation of spermatids in the lumen and disorganization of seminiferous tubule germinal epithelium were observed in testis of all the diabetic rats. In addition, mean testicular biopsy score and mean seminiferous tubule diameter were getting lower in diabetic animals.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our results suggest that diabetes affects ghrelin expression in rat testis.
authors.affiliation: Erciyes University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Histology and Embryology, Kayseri, Turkey. drmfatihsonmez@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Mehmet F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Sönmez
authors.forename: Derya
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Karabulut
authors.forename: Eser
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kilic
authors.forename: Hilal
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Akalin
authors.forename: Cagri
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sakalar
authors.forename: Yusuf
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Gunduz
authors.forename: Ayça
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kara
authors.forename: Munis
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Dundar
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000378:metabolism*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000097:blood; D054439:Ghrelin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D054439:Ghrelin; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D013739:Testosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone