The rat and mouse proenkephalin genes each contains two distinct promoters, one of which is utilized exclusively by spermatogenic cells. The germ cell-specific promoter lacks TATA sequences, is G+C rich, and contains multiple initiation sites. To investigate the nature of the cis-acting elements that determine selective transcription of the proenkephalin gene in male germ cells, two rat proenke...

The research on the expression and mutations of DAZ and its homologues in human and other mammals suggests that protein products of these genes can mainly affect development of germinal cells. The aim of the present study was to analyze the expression of the DAZ gene in seminiferous tubules of six men with spermatogenic disorders (hypospermatogenesis and spermatogenic arrest). The results based...

Streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic model has been widely used to study the effects of diabetes mellitus (DM) on male infertility, but it remains unclear whether the responses in this model are due to hyperglycemia or STZ per se. This study was designed to investigate the mechanism of STZ on testicular dysfunction. In the present study, sperm characteristics, serum testosterone, steroidogenic...

The cumulative effects of environmental toxicants, for example, the alkylphenol, para-nonylphenol (p-NP) are of concern. Our previous study showed that p-NP reduced several testicular morphometric parameters, including sperm counts. The present study reexamined material collected in that study to determine the mechanistic basis of p-NP action on spermatogenic development in the offspring. Seven...

Streptozotocin (STZ) induced diabetic model has been widely used to study the effects of diabetes mellitus (DM) on male infertility, but it remains unclear whether the responses in this model are due to hyperglycemia or STZ per se. This study was designed to investigate the mechanism of STZ on testicular dysfunction. In the present study, sperm characteristics, serum testosterone, steroidogenic...

During mammalian spermatogenesis, spermatogenic cells undergo mitotic division and are subsequently divided into haploid spermatids by meiotic division, but the dynamics of sex chromosomes during spermatogenesis are unclear in vivo. To gain insight into the distribution of sex chromosomes in the testis, we examined the localization of sex chromosomes before and after meiosis in mouse testis sec...

To study how hydrogen-rich saline (HS) promotes the recovery of testicular biological function in a hemi-sectioned spinal cord injury (hSCI) rat model, a right hemisection was performed at the T11-T12 of the spinal cord in Wistar rats. Animals were divided into four groups: normal group; vehicle group: sham-operated rats administered saline; hSCI group: subjected to hSCI and administered saline...