Aquaporins 1, 2 and 9 regulations for estradiol and DHT in the Mongolian gerbil (Meriones unguiculatus) excurrent ducts after experimental orquidectomy

• Grant number: 10/01056-1
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• Start date: June 01, 2010
• End date: May 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Histology
• Principal Investigator: Raquel Fantin Domeniconi
• Grantee: Raquel Fantin Domeniconi
• Host Institution: Instituto de Biociências (IBB). Universidade Estadual Paulista (UNESP). Campus de Botucatu. Botucatu , SP, Brazil
• Associated researchers: Bruno Cesar Schimming ; Francisco Eduardo Martinez ; Patricia Fernanda Felipe Pinheiro ; Sérgio Luis Felisbino ; Sérgio Pereira ; Wellerson Rodrigo Scarano

Abstract

Aquaporins (AQPs) are protein water channels expressed in plasma membrane of different cell types involved in the transepithelial movement of water. AQPs play an important role in formation and maintenance of the appropriate luminal environment in male reproductive tract. This paper aims to study the hormonal regulation of AQPs 1, 2 and 9 in the adult male gerbils excurrent ducts which will be submitted to orchidectomy with hormone replacement or not of dihydrotestosterone and estradiol followed by surgery. After euthanasia, the efferent duct, initial segment, caput, corpus and cauda of the epididymis and the proximal, middle and distal regions of the vas deferens will be collected 15 days after treatment initiation in the gerbils orchidectomized and submitted to hormone treatments. The control group also will be submitted to surgery, but it will not be castrated and the samples will be proceeded as soon as for orchidectomized gerbils. Samples of gerbil male reproductive tract were investigated by immunohistochemistry and Western blotting procedures to show the localization and distribution of the AQPs. The immunohistochemistry results will be analyzed and photographed in light microscope Olympus BX41. Western blotting analysis will be made by semiquantitative analysis of the bands densitometry and the intensity of the beta actin band will be used for the intensity normalization of the bands between the samples. (AU)