title: Therapeutic effect of spermatogonial stem cell on testicular damage caused by lead in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the possible therapeutic effect of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) on lead-induced apoptosis and consequently infertility in adult male rats.
  
  
  METHODS
  Sixty-six Sprague Dawley adult male rats were divided into three groups: control group, lead (Pb) acetate exposed group received (20mg Pb/kg) for 3weeks, and SSCs treated group. Each group included twenty-two rats. Serum testosterone level, 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD), 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17β-HSD), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) genes expression by RT-PCR, caspase 3 expression by immunohistochemistry and testicular histological findings were tested.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Pb acetate exposed rats showed a significant decrease in the epididymal sperm count, motility, viability, serum testosterone level and testicular expression of 3β-HSD, 17β-HSD and PCNA compared to the control group, while treatment with SSCs attenuated Pb acetate induced decrease for these variables. Moreover, the increasing apoptosis of germinal cells as well as the high expression of caspase-3 induced by Pb acetate was reduced by SSCs treatment.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SSCs exhibited therapeutic effect on reproductive system by inhibiting Pb-induced excessive cell apoptosis.
authors.affiliation: Medical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Heba F
authors.initials: HF
authors.lastname: Pasha
authors.affiliation: Medical Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt. Electronic address: nonnarezk@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: Noha A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Rezk
authors.affiliation: Histology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Sally A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Selim
authors.affiliation: Pharmacology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Zagazig University, Zagazig, Egypt.
authors.forename: Dalia M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Abd El Motteleb
mesh_terms: D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism; D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D017209:Apoptosis; D053148:Caspase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D007855:Lead Poisoning / Q000150:complications; D008297:Male; D009845:Oligospermia / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy*; D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D013081:Sperm Motility; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000637:transplantation*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D018809:Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen; D013739:Testosterone; D015067:17-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D015096:3-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases; D053148:Caspase 3
keywords: Apoptosis; Lead; Reproductive toxicity; Spermatogonial stem cell