棕色田鼠睾丸和附睾雌激素α受体表达的增龄变化

Age-specific Changes in Estrogen Receptors α in Testis and Epididymis of Mandarin Voles (Microtus mandarinus)

应用免疫组织化学方法系统研究了初生(1日龄)到成体(60日龄)5个发育阶段各6只棕色田鼠睾丸和附睾内雌激素受体α(ERα)的表达。结果发现:①在生殖细胞中,1日龄组幼鼠的生殖母细胞和支持细胞有微弱的ERα阳性表达,10日龄组精原细胞中ERα有弱表达,25日龄组精子细胞出现了较强ERα阳性表达,发育到45日龄时精子细胞ERα阳性表达最强,成体组中各级生精细胞中均有ERα阳性表达。②在间质细胞中,1日龄组间质前体细胞有ERα阳性表达,10日龄表达减弱,而到25日龄增强,至45日龄达到峰值,而成体又减弱。③附睾中,1日龄附睾上皮细胞有ERα阳性表达,10和25日龄附睾管类肌细胞出现ERα阳性表达,45日龄和成体附睾管上皮细胞和类肌细胞中均有ERα阳性表达。上述结果表明,ERα可能作为一种特异性受体在棕色田鼠睾丸发育过程中影响睾丸间质细胞雄激素的分泌,进而调节生精过程和精子的发育成熟。

In order to investigate the age-specific effect of estrogen receptor a （ERα） in testis and epididymis of mandarin voles （Microtus mandarinus）, the expression of ERα from five age groups [1 （neonatal）, 10, 25, 45, and 60 （adult） days of age] was observed using immunohistochemistry. There were several kinds of ERα-immunoreactive cells in the testes and epididymis of normal voles, such as Leydig cells, spermatogenic cells, as well as myoid cells and epithelial cells of the epididymis. The distributions and staining intensity of ERα-immunoreactive cells changed greatly with age. Statistics showed that ： the expression of ERα in pros-permatogonium cells and gonocyte was weak in the neonatal vole. The expression of ERα in spermatids appeared at postnatal day 25, as well as day 45 of age. The expression of ERα was detected in every developmental stage of germ cell in the adult vole. The expression of ERα in Leydig cells appeared in the neonatal vole followed by a decrease in intensity at postnatal day but increasing at postnatal day 25. The expression intensities of ERa in Leydig cells peaked at day 45 but decreased in the adult. The expression of ERα in epithelial cells was found in the neonatal vole and was detected in myoid cells at postnatal days 10 and 25. In the epididymes of 45 day old and adult voles, myoid cells and epithelial cells expressed ERα positively. Those results imply a molecular mechanism of ERα action. Specifically, ERα may affect the secretion of androgen in Leydig cells as special receptors during postnatal development and spermatogenesis of mandarin voles.