Journal of Andrology Track the topics, authors and articles important to you
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Published-Ahead-of-Print September 5, 2007, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.107.003210
Journal of Andrology, Vol. 29, No. 2, March/April 2008
Copyright © American Society of Andrology
DOI: 10.2164/jandrol.107.003210

This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow All Versions of this Article:
29/2/147    most recent
Author Manuscript (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Ooba, T.
Right arrow Articles by Fujisawa, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Ooba, T.
Right arrow Articles by Fujisawa, M.

Expression and Distribution of Laminin Chains in the Testis for Patients With Azoospermia

TAKESHI OOBA, TOMOMOTO ISHIKAWA, KOHEI YAMAGUCHI, YUTAKA KONDO, YUICHI SAKAMOTO AND MASATO FUJISAWA

From the Division of Urology, Department of Organ Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.

Correspondence to: Dr Tomomoto Ishikawa, Division of Urology, Department of Organ Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe 650-0017, Japan (e-mail: iskwtmmt{at}med.kobe-u.ac.jp).


The aim of our study was to investigate the relationships between the expression of laminin in the testis and spermatogenesis, and the basement membrane (BM) of testicular tubules in fertile and infertile men. Testicular tissue samples were collected from the testes of 9 patients with obstructive azoospermia (OA), 9 patients with maturation arrest (MA), and 15 patients with Sertoli cell–only syndrome (SCO). In testicular tissue, laminin was identified by staining with polyclonal antibodies. Serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), lutenizing hormone (LH), and testosterone were determined by chemiluminescence assays. In seminal plasma, laminin was estimated using a double-antibody enzyme immunoassay. BM thickness was significantly correlated with testicular tubule diameter (r = –0.49, P = .004) and FSH (r = 0.52, P = .008). The β2 chain of laminin was most expressed on the inner BM of testicular tubules. The laminin index for the β2 chain in SCO was significantly higher than in OA (P < .0001) and MA (P = .03). The mean seminal laminin levels in SCO were significantly lower than in OA (P < .001). We demonstrated that overabundance of the β2 chain of laminin is associated with increased BM thickness and is possibly related to spermatogenic dysfunction.

     Key words: Fertility, infertility, spermatogenesis, male reproductive tract






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 2008 by The American Society of Andrology.