Steroidogenesis during postnatal testicular development of Galea spixii

Autor(es)

Santos, P. R. S. ^[1] ; Oliveira, F. D. ^[1] ; Arroyo, M. A. M. ^[1] ; Oliveira, M. F. ^[2] ; Castelucci, P. ^[3] ; Conley, A. J. ^[4] ; Assis Neto, A. C. ^[1]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Univ Sao Paulo, Fac Vet Med & Anim Sci, Dept Surg, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[2] Fed Rural Univ Semiarid Northeastern Reg UFERSA, Dept Anim Sci, Mossoro - Brazil

^[3] Univ Sao Paulo, Inst Biomed Sci, Dept Anat, Sao Paulo - Brazil

^[4] Univ Calif Davis, Sch Vet Med, Populat Hlth & Reprod, Davis, CA 95616 - USA

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Reproduction; v. 154, n. 5, p. 645-652, NOV 2017.
• Citações Web of Science: 0

Resumo

The androgen/estrogen balance is essential for normal sexual development and reproduction in mammals. Studies performed herein investigated the potential for estrogen synthesis in cells of the testes of a hystricomorph rodent, Galea spixii. The study characterized the expression of the key enzymes responsible for estrogen and androgen synthesis, cytochromes P450 aromatase (P450arom), 17a-hydroxylase/17,20-lyase (P450c17) respectively, as well as the redox partner NADPH cytochrome P450 oxido-reductase (CPR) required to support electron transfer and catalysis of these P450s, by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) analysis, throughout postnatal sexual development. Testes (immature, pre-pubertal, pubertal and post-pubertal) were collected, fixed for IHC (CYP19, CYP17 and CPR) and stored frozen for qPCR for the relevant gene transcripts (Cyp19a1 and Cyp17a1). Expression of P450c17 was significantly elevated at the pre-pubertal and pubertal stages. Based on IHC, P450c17 was expressed only in Leydig cell clusters. The expression of P450arom was detectable at all stages of sexual development of Galea spixii. IHC data suggest that estrogen synthesis was not restricted to somatic cells (Leydig cells/Sertoli cells), but that germ cells may also be capable of converting androgens into estrogens, important for testicular function and spermatogenesis. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 12/11217-8 - Expressão das enzimas esteroidogênicas: Citocromo P450 aromatase, NADPH-citocromo P450 redutase e citocromo P450c17 (17-±-hidroxilase/17, 20-liase) nas diferentes fases do desenvolvimento reprodutivo e ultra-estrutura da via espermática de cutias e preás
• Beneficiário: Antônio Chaves de Assis Neto
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Regular