Exploration of the dynamic responses of Sertoli cells to depletion of spermatogonial stem cells in mouse testis / 中国实验动物学报

ABSTRACT

Objective To explore the dynamic responses of Sertoli cells to depletion of spermatogonial stem cells by busulfan.Methods After intraperitoneal injection of 15, 30 or 44 mg/kg busulfan to mice, the spermatogenesis and the expression of GDNF, PLZF, Nanog and GFRɑ1 mRNA were assessed by real-time quantitative PCR at 5 and 28 days after the busulfan treatment.Results Glial cell line-derived neutrophic factor ( GDNF ) was significantly increased and showed a dose-dependent trend at 5 days after busulfan treatment, but no significant difference was seen in the expression of promyelocytic leukemia zinc finger(PLZF) and GDNF family receptorα-1(GFRα1).The testicular histology also appeared no significant difference at 5 days after busulfan treatment.At 28 days after busulfan treatment, the relative expression lev-els of GDNF, PLZF, Nanog and GFRɑ1 mRNA were drastically increased.Morphological observation showed that spermat-ogenesis damages became even more severe as the busulfan dose increased.Conclusions Sertoli cell response to the de-pletion of spermatogonia occurs as early as the fifth day after busulfan treatment.Production of GDNF in Sertoli cells shows a compensatory increase, which may stimulate spermatogonial stem cells to accelerate their self-renewal, reflected by the enhancing expression of Nanog and PLZF, and ultimately promote the restoration of spermatogenesis.