Characterization of the testicular, epididymal and endocrine phenotypes in the Leuven Vdr-deficient mouse model: Targeting estrogen signalling

MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY

卷:377

Article

Jensen, Martin Blomberg¹  Lieben, Liesbet²  Nielsen, John E.¹  Willems, Ariane²  Jorgensen, Anne¹  Juul, Anders¹  Toppari, Jorma^3,4  Carmeliet, Geert²  Rajpert-De Meyts, Ewa¹ 

[1] Rigshosp, Univ Dept Growth & Reprod, DK-2100 Copenhagen, Denmark

[2] Katholieke Univ Leuven, Louvain, Belgium

[3] Univ Turku, Dept Physiol, Turku, Finland

[4] Univ Turku, Dept Paediat, Turku, Finland

关键词: Vitamin D;    Testis;    Fertility;    Reproduction;    Sex hormones;    Estrogen;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.mce.2013.06.036

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

Vitamin D is a key factor for calcium and bone homeostasis, but signalling through the vitamin D receptor (VDR) seems also to be important for testicular function. To test the functional role of vitamin D signalling we examined the male reproductive system of the Leuven Vdr-ablated (Vdr(-/-)) mice, previously established as a model for hereditary vitamin D-resistant rickets. We investigated reproductive hormones, changes in gene expression and histological phenotype of eleven Vdr(-/-), eight Vdr(+/-) and nine Vdr(+/+) mice. Testicular and epididymal histology were grossly normal in Vdr(-/-) mice. Accordingly, no differences were found in serum concentrations of testosterone, estradiol, LH, and FSH or testicular expression of Cyp19a1, Ers alpha, Cyp17a1, Star, Insl3, Inhbb, and Amh. However, a significantly lower ER beta expression was found in testis of Vdr(+/-) and Vdr(-/-) mice, conversely epididymal expressions of ER alpha and the estrogen-target gene Aqp9 were higher. In conclusion, vitamin D seems dispensable for murine spermatogenesis and sex hormone production, but aberrant estrogen-signalling may elicit some of the VDR-mediated effects on male reproduction. (c) 2013 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

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