epidermal-growth-factor and Vitamin-A-Deficiency

Stage synchronization of seminiferous epithelium after withdrawal and replenishment of vitamin A provides a valuable and powerful approach to the investigation of paracrine interactions within the testis. However, since the discovery of this model, little attention has been given to the events surrounding the synchronous reinitiation of spermatogenesis after depletion of vitamin A. Synchronization of spermatogenesis was observed in all animals previously deficient in vitamin A. However, the degree of synchrony observed, as assessed by a ratio of synchrony, decreased markedly with time. The possibility that spermatogenic synchrony decreases with time due to variability of the temporal duration of stages of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium is supported by this observation. However, long-term studies are required to substantiate this point. After initiation of stage synchrony of spermatogenesis, increased testicular concentrations of epidermal growth factor (EGF) were observed in testes synchronized between stages IX-II than at other stages of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium. This elevation in testicular EGF concentrations correlated well with mitotic division of type A spermatogonia at stages IX, XII, and XIV of the cycle of the seminiferous epithelium. Previous in vitro studies have implicated an EGF-like factor in the stimulation of type A spermatogonial division in the mouse. A significant increase in testicular insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) concentrations was observed in control animals 14 days after the injection of retinol acetate. In vitamin A deficient animals, a marked increase in testicular IGF-I concentrations was observed as compared to age-matched controls. Maximal levels of testicular IGF-I concentrations were present 14 and 28 days and again 126 days after re-supplementation with retinol acetate. No stage dependent changes in testicular IGF-I were observed but the data provided suggest the retinol may be one of the factors involved in the regulation of testicular IGF-I.

Topics: Aging; Animals; Epidermal Growth Factor; Epididymis; Insulin-Like Growth Factor I; Male; Pituitary Gland; Pituitary Hormones, Anterior; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Reference Values; Somatomedins; Spermatogenesis; Testis; Testosterone; Vitamin A; Vitamin A Deficiency

Twelve pairs of fetal lambs were used to test the hypothesis that the necrotizing tracheobronchitis followed by squamous metaplasia seen in premature infants who develop chronic bronchopulmonary dysplasia might be related to low retinol stores and might, therefore, be reversed by retinol supplementation. Epidermal growth factor (EGF) was used to model the growth factor stimulus initiated by chronic wounding of the airways, and retinol was used as a differentiator of proliferating cells stimulated by EGF. Saline-treated animals were used as controls, as were fetal lambs receiving retinol alone or EGF alone. The effects of EGF on tracheal and bronchial epithelium consisted of proliferation of basal and intermediate cells, necrosis and slough of lining ciliated and mucous-producing cells, followed by squamous metaplasia. In fetal lambs given retinol, plasma, liver and lung retinol levels rose and mucous producing cells were increased in number. In the presence of EGF plus retinol, differentiation of mucous-producing cells was accelerated. We believe that this fetal lamb model with low initial levels of retinol in plasma, liver and lung, treated with EGF may mimic human premature infants with chronic bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and that the addition of retinol in amounts sufficient to raise their tissue levels produces a more normal surface epithelium in conducting airways.

Topics: Analysis of Variance; Animals; Animals, Newborn; Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia; Cell Differentiation; Cell Division; Disease Models, Animal; Epidermal Growth Factor; Epithelium; Female; Fetus; Humans; Infant, Newborn; Metaplasia; Microscopy, Electron; Pregnancy; Sheep; Trachea; Vitamin A; Vitamin A Deficiency

Topics: Animals; Epidermal Growth Factor; Female; Histocytochemistry; Immunochemistry; Keratins; Lectins; Male; Mice; Submandibular Gland; Vitamin A Deficiency