Decreased protein expressions of PBR and StAR of Leydig cells in rats with chronic ethanol feeding / 中华内分泌代谢杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective To investigate the expressions of peripheral type benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) and steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR) of testis in rats with chronic ethanol feeding.Methods Forty rats were treated with different ethanol dosages for twenty weeks, the morphology of testis and protein expressions of PBR and StAR were observed.Results In the ethanol-feeding rats, seminiferous tubular wall of testes became thin and the layer of germ cells was significantly reduced, moreover, the broken spermatozoon′s flagella were frequently observed and few integrated spermatozoa were produced.Compared with control group, the protein expressions of PBR and StAR protein were reduced by 13.8%, 20.9%, 50.4% and 34.5%, 37.7%, 95.2% in low-, middle- and high-dose ethanol feeding group respectively by immunoprecipitation.Similarly, both locating at interstitial cells in testes were also decreased by 33.27 %, 37.71 %, 63.59 % and 27.12 %, 51.84 %, 58.41% in the same ethanol feeding groups respectively by immunohistochemistry.Conclusion Both PBR and StAR protein expressions are decreased in interstitial cells of testes in chronic ethanol-feeding rats, which shows positive correlation with ethanol dosage.