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Alteration of spermatogenesis following spermatogonial stem cells transplantation in testicular torsion-detorsion mice

  • Gamete Biology
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Journal of Assisted Reproduction and Genetics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Purpose

Testicular ischemia is the main consequence of testicular torsion, in both clinical and experimental aspects. Preservation and auto-transplantation of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) could be a new treatment for infertility in testicular ischemia following testicular torsion.

Methods

To apply the idea in this study, animals were randomly divided into four groups of control, sham, with torsion, and with torsion followed by transplantation (TT). Isolated SSCs from neonatal mice were cultured and identified by flow cytometry (C-KIT−, INTEGRIN β1 +) and RT-PCR (Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction) for specific spermatogonial cell markers (Oct4, Gfrα-1, Plzf, Vasa, Itgα 6 , and Itgβ 1 ). SSCs were transplanted upon a 2-h testicular torsion in the TT group. Cultured cells were transplanted into ischemia reperfusion testicle 2 weeks post-testicular torsion. Eight weeks after SSCs transplantation, the SSCs-transplanted testes and epididymis were removed for sperm analysis, weight and histopathological evaluation, and pre- and post-meiotic gene expression assessment by qRT-PCR.

Results

Our findings indicated that all evaluated parameters (epididymal sperm profile, Johnsen score, Plzf, Gfrα-1, Scp-1, Tekt-1 expressions, and histopathological profile) were significantly decreased following testicular torsion (group 3) when compared to the control group (p ≤ 0.05). However, all abovementioned parameters showed a significant increase/improvement in torsion-transplantation group compared to torsion group. However, these parameters in the TT group were significantly lower in the sham and control groups (p ≤ 0.05).

Conclusion

SSCs transplantation could up-regulate the expression of pre- and post-meiotic genes in testicular ischemia, which resulted in improvement of both testicular function and structure after testicular torsion.

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Acknowledgments

This study was funded by a grant from Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS) (Number: 90-04-30-14879) for PhD student thesis, and all experiments have been performed at Cellular and Molecular Research Center, IUMS, Tehran, Iran.

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Author notes

  1. Babak Behnam

    Present address: NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program, NIH, Office of the Director, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Anatomical Sciences, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Saeid Azizollahi, Hamid Reza Asgari & Morteza Koruji

  2. Department of Endocrinology and Female Infertility, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

    Reza Aflatoonian

  3. Department of Urology, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Ali Sadighi Gilani

  4. Department of Andrology, Reproductive Biomedicine Research Center, Royan Institute for Reproductive Biomedicine, ACECR, Tehran, Iran

    Mohammad Ali Sadighi Gilani

  5. Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Babak Behnam

  6. National Human Genome Research Institute, NIH, Bethesda, MD, 20892, USA

    Babak Behnam

  7. Cellular and Molecular Research Center, Iran University of Medical Sciences (IUMS), Hemmat Highway, P. O. Box 14155-5983, Tehran, Iran

    Babak Behnam & Morteza Koruji

  8. Department of Immunology, School of Medicine, Iran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran

    Nader Tajik

  9. Road Traffic Injury Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran

    Mohammad Asghari-Jafarabadi

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  1. Saeid Azizollahi
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Correspondence to Morteza Koruji.

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Capsule SSCs transplantation increase relative expression of pre-/post-meiotic genes and improve sperm parameters and testis structure in testicular torsion-detorsion mice.

Summary sentence

SSCs transplantation increase relative expression of pre-/post-meiotic genes and improve sperm parameters and testis structure in the ischemic condition.

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Azizollahi, S., Aflatoonian, R., Sadighi Gilani, M.A. et al. Alteration of spermatogenesis following spermatogonial stem cells transplantation in testicular torsion-detorsion mice. J Assist Reprod Genet 33, 771–781 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10815-016-0708-2

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