Gossypol decreases the expression of connexin 43 in Sertoli cells / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of gossypol on the expression of connexin 43 (CX43) in Sertoli cells.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>TM4 Sertoli cells were cultured and treated with gossypol at the concentrations of 1.25, 2.5, 5 and 10 micromol/L for 6, 12, 24 and 48 hours. The cytotoxicity of gossypol was assessed by CCK-8 assay, and the expression of CX43 in the normal TM4 Sertoli cells and in those treated with different concentrations of gossypol for different times was detected by RT-PCR and immunofluorescence analysis.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Semiquantitative RT-PCR and immunofluorescence analysis showed the expression of CX43 in the normal TM4 cells. At 24 hours of exposure to gossypol, the expression began to decrease gradually with the prolonging of time and the increasing concentration of gossypol (P < 0.05).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Gossypol reduces the expression of CX43 in TM4 Sertoli cells, which might underlie the mechanism of its antifertility action.</p>

Gap junctional protein connexin 43 in rat detrusor muscle with unstable bladder / 中华医学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>BACKGROUND</b>Unstable bladder is one of the common clinical dysfunctions of the lower urinary tract. Gap junctions (GJs) are the plaques of aqueous channels that facilitate electrical and metabolic communication between the intracellular compartments of adjacent cells, exchange of nutrients and ions between connected cells and transfer of electrical signals. In the present study we investigated the quantitative alterations of the GJ in the rat detrusor muscle and its functional changes related to the developing of unstable bladder (USB).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Thirteen female Wistar rats (study group) with obstructive unstable bladder as determined by urodynamic study and 10 sham-operated rats (control group) were sacrificed at 6 weeks after surgery. Cystometric investigation, and the content and distribution of the GJ protein connexin 43 (Cx43) in the detrusors which were taken from the bladder of the rats were studied by Western blot and laser confocal microscopy with a double label immunohistochemistry technique.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression of Cx43 was found adjacent to the detrusor with the laser confocal microscopy. The Cx43 expression increased markedly in the study group (pixel density 29.5 +/- 13.9, staining size (17.9 +/- 8.8) microm2) compared with the control group (pixel density 14.2 +/- 2.2, staining size (5.7 +/- 3.1) microm2, P < 0.05). Western blot analysis demonstrated that Cx43 in the study group (the average gray level was 31.066) was significantly higher than in the control group (the average gray level was 11.701, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The increase of GJ leading to a intercellular excitatory communication is one of the important mechanisms related to developing unstable bladder.</p>