title: Immunohistochemical localization of sex hormone receptors in two Raillietina tapeworms.
abstract: Sex hormone receptors play critical roles in development and reproduction. However, it is not known whether they exist in Raillietina tapeworms, and if they do, whether they have a similar function to that in vertebrates. We examined the immunohistochemical distributions of androgen receptors (ARs), estrogen receptors (ERs), and progesterone receptors (PRs) in the tissues of two tapeworm species: Raillietina echinobothrida and Raillietina tetragona. Immunopositive ARs were found in the entire reproductive system of R. echinobothrida, including the testes, ovaries, and oocysts, and weakly immunopositive ERs and PRs were found in the testes, ovaries, and oocysts. Immunopositive ARs were also found throughout the entire reproductive system of R. tetragona, including the testes, ovaries, and oocysts, and weakly immunopositive ERs were in the testes and oocysts; the PRs were distributed in an immunonegative manner. The results show that androgens and their receptors play critical roles in reproductive system development in the two tapeworms. The immunoreactivity and tissue localizations of the sex hormone receptors suggest that, in both species, they have similar functions as in vertebrates, and modulate reproduction.
authors.affiliation: School of Medicine, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, Yunnan, China.|Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.|Department of Hematology, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Y M
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Sun
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Mu
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Aquiculture, College of Animal Science, South China Agricultural University, Guangzhou, China 1377593984@qq.com.
authors.forename: H Y
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Hematology, The First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province, Kunming University of Science and Technology, Kunming, China 1377593984@qq.com.
authors.forename: T H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Yang
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000378:metabolism; D000818:Animals; D002589:Cestoda / Q000378:metabolism*; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000378:metabolism; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000378:metabolism; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000378:metabolism; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D011980:Receptors, Progesterone