title: Diethylstilbestrol Regulates the Expression of LGR8 in Mouse Gubernaculum Testis Cells.
abstract: BACKGROUND Hormonal effects on the gubernaculum can affect testicular descent. Diethylstilbestrol (DES) is a nonsteroidal synthetic estrogen that disrupts the outgrowth of gubernaculums, leading to testis maldescent. However, the underlying mechanisms remain elusive. MATERIAL AND METHODS The gubernaculum were removed from 3-day-old mice and cultured. The subcultured cells were randomly divided into a normal control group and experimental groups. The DES groups were administered 10 μg/ml, 1 μg/ml, 0.1 μg/ml, 0.01 μg/ml of diethylstilbestrol dissolved in dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) respectively. The cell morphology was observed under an inverted microscope, and leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 8 (LGR8) was localized by immunofluorescence. The expressions of LGR8 gene and protein in gubernaculum cells were quantified by RT-PCR and Flow Cytometer respectively. RESULTS DES treatment converted cells from a normal fibroblast-like morphology into a more refractile, spindle-shaped morphology or irregular elliptical shapes along with cytoplasmic shrinkage. LGR8 was expressed in the cytoplasmic membrane, DES dose-dependently downregulated LGR8 expression at low doses (≤1.0 μg/ml), but upregulated LGR8 at high doses (10 μg/ml) at both the mRNA and protein levels. CONCLUSIONS These results suggest that DES causes testicular maldescent by altering the LGR8 pathway in mouse gubernaculum testis cells.
authors: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors: Shouxing
authors: S
authors: Duan
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors: Xuewu
authors: X
authors: Jiang
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors: Xuan
authors: X
authors: Zhang
authors: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors: Lei
authors: L
authors: Xie
authors: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors: Zongbo
authors: Z
authors: Sun
authors: Department of Radiology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors: Shuhua
authors: S
authors: Ma
authors: Department of Pediatric Surgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Shantou University Medical College, Shantou, Guangdong, China (mainland).
authors: Jianhong
authors: J
authors: Li
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D011897:Random Allocation; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D004968:Estrogens, Non-Steroidal; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; C435187:relaxin receptor 2, mouse; D004054:Diethylstilbestrol