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Published-Ahead-of-Print September 6, 2006, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.106.000778

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Apoptosis and Molecular Pathways in the Seminiferous Epithelium of Aged and Photoinhibited Syrian Hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

EVA MORALES , CONCEPCION FERRER , ADELINA ZUASTI , JOSE C. GARCIA-BORRON , MANUEL CANTERAS , and LUIS M PASTOR *

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: bioetica{at}um.es.

Aging and short photoperiod exposure induce germ cell apoptosis in the Syrian hamster, however, the specific germ cells affected and the molecular pathways triggered have not been elucidated. We analyzed germ cell apoptosis and the expression of Fas/Fas-L system, Bcl-2 family and p53 in aged and photoinhibited hamsters and compared with those young maintained in natural photoperiod. Aging increased apoptosis in spermatogonia and spermatocytes, however in photoinhibited hamsters only an increase in apoptotic spermatocytes was observed. Apoptosis was higher in aged hamsters in stages I-IV, V-VI and VII-VIII. Aging increased apoptosis of spermatogonia in stages I-IV and V-VI. Apoptotic pachytene spermatocytes were significantly higher in stages I-IV, V-VI and VII-VIII in aging. Apoptotic preleptotene and pachytene spermatocytes were higher in aging, but no differences were observed in leptotene-zygotene. Fas-L was expressed by Sertoli cells, of young, aged and photoinhibited hamsters. Bcl-xL was strongly expressed in germ cells on young hamsters and slightly in aging and after short photoperiod exposure. Spermatocytes of photoinhibited hamsters were intensively stained with Fas, Bax, Bcl-xs/L and p53. In conclusion, aging increases apoptosis in spermatogonias and spermatocytes depending on the stage of the seminiferous epithelium cycle, whereas after a short photoperiod exposure only an increase in apoptotic spermatocytes is observed. The results suggest that Fas, Bcl-xL, Bax and p53 participate in germ cell apoptosis induction after short photoperiod exposure, whereas only Bcl-xL is involved aging.


Key words: Testis • Bcl-2 • Fas • aging • apoptosis • photoperiod






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