Effect of Testosterone Propionate on Apoptosis of Rat Germ Cells / 天津医药

ABSTRACT

Objective: To investigate the effects of the exogenous testosterone propionate on apoptosis of rat germ cells and the mechanisms thereof. Methods: Thirty 35-day-old male SD rats were randomly divided into experimental group and the control group. The rats in experimental group were injected (i.m.) testosterone propionate and the control group with an equal volume of saline. By using terminal deoxynueleotidy transferase nediated dUTP nick-end labeling (TUNEL), flow cytometry (FCM), radioimmunoassay (RIA) and electron microscopy, the quantity and quality of apoptosis of germ cells were evaluated. Results:(1) Compared with the control, the apoptotic number of rat germ cells was increased in the experimental group, especially the primary spermatocyte. The apoptotie rate was 11.3% detected by FCM in experimental group,while 3.6% in the control group (P ＜ 0.01). (2) The percentages of 1C were 21.8% in experimental group and 33.8% in control group (P ＜ 0.01).The percentages of 2C were 52.6% in experimental group and 37.1% in control group (P ＜ 0.01). (3) The serum levels of testosterone were (3 486.8±333.3) ng/L in experimental group and (846.9±167.5) ng/L in control group (P ＜ 0.01). The serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) were (2.5±0.8) IU/L in experimental group and (5.2±1.7) IU/L in control group (P ＜0.01). Conclusion: The exogenous testosterone propionate might induce apoptosis of germ cells by retroinhibition of the hypothalamie-pituitary-gonadal axis, thus having contraceptive effects.