Prokineticin 2 overexpression induces spermatocyte apoptosis in varicocele in rats.

Prokineticin 2 overexpression induces spermatocyte apoptosis in varicocele in rats. Asian J Androl. 2019 Nov 19;: Authors: Li Y, Zhou T, Su YF, Hu ZY, Wei JJ, Wang W, Liu CY, Zhao K, Zhang HP Abstract Varicocele is one of the most important causes of male infertility, as this condition leads to a decline in sperm quality. It is generally believed that the presence of varicocele induces an increase in reactive oxygen species levels, leading to oxidative stress and sperm apoptosis; however, the specific pathogenic mechanisms affecting spermatogenesis remain elusive. Prokineticin 2 (PK2), a secretory protein, is associated with multiple biological processes, including cell migration, proliferation, and apoptosis. In the testis, PK2 is expressed in spermatocytes under normal physiological conditions. To investigate the role of PK2 in varicocele, a rat varicocele model was established to locate and quantify the expression of PK2 and its receptor, prokineticin receptor 1 (PKR1), by immunohistochemistry and quantitative real-time PCR assays (qPCR). Moreover, H2O2 was applied to mimic the oxidative stress state of varicocele through coculturing with a spermatocyte-derived cell line (GC-2) in vitro, and the apoptosis rate was detected by flow cytometry. Here, we illustrated that the expression levels of PK2 and PKR1 were upregulated in the spermatocytes of the rat model. Administration of H2O2 stimulated the overexpression of PK2 in GC-2. Tra...
Source: Asian Journal of Andrology - Category: Urology & Nephrology Authors: Tags: Asian J Androl Source Type: research