In search of new paradigms for epididymal health and disease: innate immunity, inflammatory mediators, and steroid hormones.

The primary job of the epididymis is to mature and protect the luminally transiting spermatozoa. Mounting evidence is showing that innate immune components [including Toll-like receptors (TLRs) and antimicrobial proteins, among which are ß-defensins] and inflammatory mediators, under the primary influence of androgens, participate in the cellular and molecular processes that define this tissue. Here, we present an overview of the contributions of these signaling pathway components during epididymal homeostasis and discuss the hypotheses as to their involvement in epididymitis, the most common urological inflammatory condition in men, frequently impairing their fertility. Drawing primarily from rodent models, we also focus on how the distribution and functional expression of innate immune components are differentially regulated in the prenatal developing epididymis, providing new insights into the disruption of these signaling pathways throughout the lifespan. Male infertility is caused by a variety of conditions, such as congenital malformations, genetic and endocrine disorders, exposure to environmental toxicants, and inflammatory/infectious conditions. More than one-third of infertile men with an idiopathic condition cannot currently be adequately diagnosed. Thinking about the innate immunity and inflammation context of the epididymis may provide new insights and directions as to how these systems contribute to male fertility, as well as also uncover urological and andrological outcomes that may aid clinicians in diagnosing and preventing epididymal pathologies.

Impact of adrenalectomy and dexamethasone treatment on testicular morphology and sperm parameters in rats: insights into the adrenal control of male reproduction.

Here we investigated the hypothesis that normal levels of glucocorticoids, a class of adrenal steroid hormones, are required for normal testicular and epididymal functions. We examined the effects of the manipulation of glucocorticoid plasma levels by bilateral adrenalectomy (1, 2, 7 and 15 days) alone or in combination with daily treatment with the synthetic glucocorticoid dexamethasone (DEX; 5 µg/kg, i.p., 6 days) on the morphology of the testis and sperm parameters in rats. We showed that adrenalectomy led to a reduction in testicular sperm count and daily sperm production starting 2 days after surgery and a differential decrease in sperm count in the epididymis, according to the region and time post-adrenalectomy analysed. In parallel, testes from 7-day adrenalectomized (ADX) rats displayed a higher frequency of damaged seminiferous tubules and the presence of elongated spermatids retained in the basal epithelial compartment in stages IX-XVII, which is indicative of defective spermiation. The alkaline comet assay revealed a late effect of adrenalectomy on epididymal sperm DNA fragmentation, which was increased only 15 days after surgery. DEX treatment prevented the changes in testicular and epididymal sperm count observed in 7-day ADX rats, but failed to protect the testis from ADX-induced morphological abnormalities. Thus, our results indicated that glucocorticoids may be involved in events related to the maintenance of spermatogenesis and sperm maturation during adulthood. These findings provide new insights into the importance of adrenal steroids to male fertility.

Ouabain activates NFκB through an NMDA signaling pathway in cultured cerebellar cells.

Na,K-ATPase, an ion pump, has been shown to interact with other proteins in signaling complexes in cardiac myocytes, renal and glial cells, and several other cell types. Our previous in vivo studies indicated that intrahippocampal administration of ouabain (OUA), an inhibitor of Na,K-ATPase, induces NFκB activation, leading to an increase in mRNA levels of target genes of this transcription factor in the rat hippocampus. The present work investigated whether OUA can regulate NF-κB in primary cultured rat cerebellar cells. Cells were treated with different concentrations of OUA (1, 10 or 100 µM) for different periods of time (1, 2 and 4 h). OUA induced a time- and concentration-dependent activation of NFκB (peak of activation: 10 µM, 2 h), involving both p50/p65 and p50/p50 NFκB dimers. OUA (10 µM, 2 h) induced upregulation of tumor necrosis factor α (Tnf-α), interleukin-1ß (Il-1ß), and brain derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf) mRNA levels. Both NFκB activation and gene expression activation induced by OUA (10 µM) were abolished when cells were pre-treated for 20 min with MK-801 (N-Methyl-D-Aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonist), manumycin A (farnesyltransferase inhibitor), PP-1(Src-family tyrosine kinase inhibitor) and PD98059 (mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor). OUA (10 µM) alone or in the presence of MK-801, PP-1, PD98059 did not cause cell death or DNA fragmentation. These findings suggest that OUA activates NFκB by NMDA-Src-Ras-like protein through MAPK pathways in cultured cerebellar cells. This pathway may mediate an adaptive response in the central nervous system.

Influence of N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors on ouabain activation of nuclear factor-κB in the rat hippocampus.

It has been shown that ouabain (OUA) can activate the Na,K-ATPase complex and mediate intracellular signaling in the central nervous system (CNS). Inflammatory stimulus increases glutamatergic transmission, especially at N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which are usually coupled to the activation of nitric oxide synthase (NOS). Nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation modulates the expression of genes involved in development, plasticity, and inflammation. The present work investigated the effects of OUA on NF-κB binding activity in rat hippocampus and the influence of this OUA-Na,K-ATPase signaling cascade in NMDA-mediated NF-κB activation. The findings presented here are the first report indicating that intrahippocampal administration of OUA, in a concentration that did not alter Na,K-ATPase or NOS activity, induced an activation of NF-κB, leading to increases in brain-derived neurotrophic factor (Bdnf), inducible NOS (iNos), tumor necrosis factor-α (Tnf-α), and B-cell leukemia/lymphoma 2 (Bcl2) mRNA levels. This response was not linked to any significant signs of neurodegeneration as showed via Fluoro-Jade B and Nissl stain. Intrahippocampal administration of NMDA induced NF-κB activation and increased NOS and α(2/3) -Na,K-ATPase activities. NMDA treatment further increased OUA-induced NF-κB activation, which was partially blocked by MK-801, an antagonist of NMDA receptor. These results suggest that OUA-induced NF-κB activation is at least in part dependent on Na,K-ATPase modulatory action of NMDA receptor in hippocampus. The interaction of these signaling pathways could be associated with biological mechanisms that may underlie the basal homeostatic state linked to the inflammatory signaling cascade in the brain.

Presence of mRNA of muscle nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunits and an epsilon-subunit splice variant in the mouse brain.

Transcripts encoding for alpha1, beta1, delta, gamma and epsilon (and its splice variant epsilon(s)) subunits of the muscle-type nicotinic acetylcholine receptor (nAChR) were assessed using reverse transcription followed by polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assays, with RNA extracted from the mouse skeletal muscle (diaphragm) and brain regions (cortex, hippocampus and cerebellum). The presence of alpha1, beta1, delta, gamma, epsilon and epsilon(s) transcripts was confirmed in the diaphragm muscle, used as positive control. mRNAs coding for muscle alpha1, beta1, delta, epsilon, epsilon(s), but not gamma subunits, were detected in adult mouse brain regions. An epsilon-subunit sequence variant, named epsilon(t), was also detected in all brain regions examined, but not in skeletal muscle. This new epsilon-subunit splice variant lacks a 115 bp cassette corresponding to exon 8 in the first intracellular transmembrane domain of the subunit, leading to a truncated protein. The data provide evidence for the presence of muscle-type nAChR subunits in the mouse central nervous system.

Amyloid beta-peptide activates nuclear factor-kappaB through an N-methyl-D-aspartate signaling pathway in cultured cerebellar cells.

Amyloid beta-peptide (A beta) likely causes functional alterations in neurons well prior to their death. Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB), a transcription factor that is known to play important roles in cell survival and apoptosis, has been shown to be modulated by A beta in neurons and glia, but the mechanism is unknown. Because A beta has also been shown to enhance activation of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, we investigated the role of NMDA receptor-mediated intracellular signaling pathways in A beta-induced NF-kappaB activation in primary cultured rat cerebellar cells. Cells were treated with different concentrations of A beta1-40 (1 or 2 microM) for different periods (6, 12, or 24 hr). MK-801 (NMDA antagonist), manumycin A and FTase inhibitor 1 (farnesyltransferase inhibitors), PP1 (Src-family tyrosine kinase inhibitor), PD98059 [mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) inhibitor], and LY294002 [phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-k) inhibitor] were added 20 min before A beta treatment of the cells. A beta induced a time- and concentration-dependent activation of NF-kappaB (1 microM, 12 hr); both p50/p65 and p50/p50 NF-kappaB dimers were involved. This activation was abolished by MK-801 and attenuated by manumycin A, FTase inhibitor 1, PP1, PD98059, and LY294002. A beta at 1 microM increased the expression of inhibitory protein I kappaB, brain-derived neurotrophic factor, inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrosis factor-alpha, and interleukin-1 beta as shown by RT-PCR assays. Collectively, these findings suggest that A beta activates NF-kappaB by an NMDA-Src-Ras-like protein through MAPK and PI3-k pathways in cultured cerebellar cells. This pathway may mediate an adaptive, neuroprotective response to A beta.

Expression of fibroblast growth factor-8 and its cognate receptors, fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR)-3c and-4, in fetal bovine preantral follicles.

Paracrine cell signaling is thought to be important for ovarian follicle development, and a role for some members of the fibroblast growth factor (FGF) family have been suggested. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that FGF-8 and its cognate receptors (FGFR-3c and FGFR-4) are expressed in bovine preantral follicles. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction was used to amplify bovine FGF-8, FGFR-3c, and FGFR-4 from preantral follicle samples and a variety of fetal and adult tissues. All three genes were widely expressed in fetal tissues, with a restricted expression pattern in adult tissues. FGF-8 and FGFR-3c were expressed in secondary follicles in 70% of fetuses examined, whereas FGFR-4 expression was significantly less frequent (20%). FGFR-3c expression frequency was significantly lower in primordial compared to secondary follicles, and FGF-8 expression showed a similar trend. FGFR-4 was only observed when all follicle classes of an individual were expressing both FGF-8 and FGFR-3c. We conclude that FGF-8 and its receptors are expressed in preantral follicles in a developmentally regulated manner.

Prevalence of Y chromosome deletions in a Brazilian population of nonobstructive azoospermic and severely oligozoospermic men.

We determined the prevalence of Y chromosome deletions in a population of 60 Brazilian nonobstructive azoospermic and severely oligozoospermic men. PCR-based screening of microdeletions was performed on lymphocyte DNA for the presence of 14 sequence-tagged sites (STS) located in the azoospermic factor (AZF) on the Yq chromosome. All STS were amplified efficiently in samples from 12 fertile men tested, but failed to be amplified in samples from fertile women, indicating the specificity of PCR conditions for Yq screening. Overall, 4 of the 60 infertile patients tested (6.7%) exhibited deletion of the Y chromosome, 2 of them being severely oligozoospermic patients (P10 and P32) and 2 azoospermic men (patients P47 and P57). Patients P47 and P57 presented larger deletions in the AZFa, AZFb and AZFc subregions, with apparent loss of Yq material evidenced by karyotype analysis. Patients P10 and P32 presented deletions confined to the AZFc region, involving the DAZ locus. Male relatives of patients P10 and P32 had no Y chromosome deletions and presented a normal karyotype, suggesting a de novo status of the deletions found. Our data add to the growing literature showing that microdeletions of the Y chromosome can be the cause of male idiopathic infertility.

Prevalence of Y chromosome deletions in a Brazilian population of nonobstructive azoospermic and severely oligozoospermic men

We determined the prevalence of Y chromosome deletions in a population of 60 Brazilian nonobstructive azoospermic and severely oligozoospermic men. PCR-based screening of microdeletions was performed on lymphocyte DNA for the presence of 14 sequence-tagged sites (STS) located in the azoospermic factor (AZF) on the Yq chromosome. All STS were amplified efficiently in samples from 12 fertile men tested, but failed to be amplified in samples from fertile women, indicating the specificity of PCR conditions for Yq screening. Overall, 4 of the 60 infertile patients tested (6.7 percent) exhibited deletion of the Y chromosome, 2 of them being severely oligozoospermic patients (P10 and P32) and 2 azoospermic men (patients P47 and P57). Patients P47 and P57 presented larger deletions in the AZFa, AZFb and AZFc subregions, with apparent loss of Yq material evidenced by karyotype analysis. Patients P10 and P32 presented deletions confined to the AZFc region, involving the DAZ locus. Male relatives of patients P10 and P32 had no Y chromosome deletions and presented a normal karyotype, suggesting a de novo status of the deletions found. Our data add to the growing literature showing that microdeletions of the Y chromosome can be the cause of male idiopathic infertility

Age-related changes in neuronal uptake of catecholamines

Age-related changes in the neuronal uptake of labelled noradrenaline were analyzed in transversally sectioned portions of 4-, 12-and 20-month old rat vas deferens. Uptake was a saturable process apparently following the Michaelis-Menten equation. By determining the values of Km and Vmax, it was possible to conclude that neuronal uptake does not change with age in the epididymal portion of the vas deferens and is reduced in the prostatic portion of 20-month old rats