metallothionein and Infertility--Male

Cadmium (Cd) is an environmental toxicant and an endocrine disruptor in humans and rodents. Several organs (e.g., kidney, liver) are affected by Cd and recent studies have illustrated that the testis is exceedingly sensitive to Cd toxicity. More important, Cd and other toxicants, such as heavy metals (e.g., lead, mercury) and estrogenic-based compounds (e.g., bisphenols) may account for the recent declining fertility in men among developed countries by reducing sperm count and testis function. In this review, we critically discuss recent data in the field that have demonstrated the Cd-induced toxicity to the testis is probably the result of interactions of a complex network of causes. This is likely to involve the disruption of the blood-testis barrier (BTB) via specific signal transduction pathways and signaling molecules, such as p38 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK). We also summarize current studies on factors that confer and/or regulate the testis sensitivity to Cd, such as Cd transporters and metallothioneins, the impact of Cd on the testis as an endocrine disruptor and oxidative stress inducer, and how it may disrupt the Zn(2+) and/or Ca(2+) mediated cellular events. While much work is needed before a unified mechanistic pathway of Cd-induced testicular toxicity emerges, recent studies have helped to identify some of the likely mechanisms and/or events that take place during Cd-induced testis injury. Furthermore, some of the recent studies have shed lights on potential therapeutic or preventive approaches that can be developed in future studies by blocking or minimizing the destructive effects of Cd to testicular function in men.

Topics: Animals; Blood-Testis Barrier; Cadmium; Cation Transport Proteins; Endocrine Disruptors; Environmental Pollutants; Humans; Infertility, Male; Male; Metallothionein; Signal Transduction; Spermatogenesis; Testis

Meiosis is essential for the generation of gametes and sexual reproduction, yet the factors and underlying mechanisms regulating meiotic progression remain largely unknown. Here, we showed that MTL5 translocates into nuclei of spermatocytes during zygotene-pachytene transition and ensures meiosis advances beyond pachytene stage. MTL5 shows strong interactions with MuvB core complex components, a well-known transcriptional complex regulating mitotic progression, and the zygotene-pachytene transition of MTL5 is mediated by its direct interaction with the component LIN9, through MTL5 C-terminal 443-475 residues. Male Mtl5c-mu/c-mu mice expressing the truncated MTL5 (p.Ser445Arg fs*3) that lacks the interaction with LIN9 and is detained in cytoplasm showed male infertility and spermatogenic arrest at pachytene stage, same as that of Mtl5 knockout mice, indicating that the interaction with LIN9 is essential for the nuclear translocation and function of MTL5 during meiosis. Our data demonstrated MTL5 translocates into nuclei during the zygotene-pachytene transition to initiate its function along with the MuvB core complex in pachytene spermatocytes, highlighting a new mechanism regulating the progression of male meiosis.

Topics: Active Transport, Cell Nucleus; Animals; Cell Cycle Proteins; Chromosome Pairing; Cytoplasm; DNA-Binding Proteins; Fertility; Infertility, Male; Male; Meiosis; Meiotic Prophase I; Metallothionein; Mice; Mice, Inbred C57BL; Pachytene Stage; Spermatocytes; Spermatogenesis; Testis; Tumor Suppressor Proteins

The spermatogonial transplantation system was applied to evaluate stem cell kinetics and niche quality and to produce gene-modified animals using the stem cells after homologous recombination-based selection. This study was designed to determine whether the transplanted spermatogonia were able to proliferate and differentiate in male rats expressing the c-myc transgene under control of the human metallothionein IIA promoter (MT-myc Tg rats). Donor testicular cells were prepared from heterozygous chicken beta actin (CAG)/enhanced green fluorescent protein (EGFP)-transgenic rats (EGFP Tg rats) during the second week after birth and injected into the seminiferous tubules of the MT-myc Tg rats (line-A and -B; both subfertile) or rats pretreated with busulfan to remove endogenous spermatogonia. Three to four months after transplantation, cell colonies with EGFP fluorescence were detected in 36% (4/11), 40% (8/20), and 71% (5/7) of the transplanted testes in line-A MT-myc Tg rats, line-B MT-myc Tg rats, and busulfan-treated rats, respectively. No EGFP-positive colonies were detected when wild-type male rats were used as recipients (0/7; testis-basis). The histopathological and immunofluorescent examination of the serial sections from the transplanted testes showed normal spermatogenesis of the donor spermatogonia, but atrophy of the recipient seminiferous tubules. Microinsemination with round spermatids and mature spermatozoa derived from EGFP-positive testes in line-A rats resulted 26% (10/39 transferred) and 23% (11/48 transferred) full-term offspring, respectively. Thus, the MT-myc Tg male rats were suitable as potent recipients for spermatogonial transplantation without any chemical pretreatment to remove the endogenous spermatogonia.

Topics: Animals; Busulfan; Cell Differentiation; Fluorescent Antibody Technique; Genes, myc; Green Fluorescent Proteins; Immunosuppressive Agents; Infertility, Male; Male; Metallothionein; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Rats; Rats, Transgenic; Rats, Wistar; Seminiferous Tubules; Spermatogonia; Stem Cells

The role of FSH in gonadal tumorigenesis and, in particular, in human ovarian cancer has been debated. It is also unclear what role the elevated FSH levels in the inhibin-deficient mouse play in the gonadal tumorigenesis. To directly assess the role of FSH in gonadal growth, differentiation, and gonadal tumorigenesis, we have generated both gain-of-function and loss-of-function transgenic mutant mice. In the gain-of-function model, we have generated transgenic mice that ectopically overexpress human FSH from multiple tissues using a mouse metallothionein-1 promoter, achieving levels far exceeding those seen in postmenopausal women. Male transgenic mice are infertile despite normal testicular development and demonstrate enlarged seminal vesicles secondary to elevated serum testosterone levels. Female transgenic mice develop highly hemorrhagic and cystic ovaries, have elevated serum estradiol and progesterone levels, and are infertile, mimicking the features of human ovarian hyperstimulation and polycystic ovarian syndromes. Furthermore, the female transgenic mice develop enlarged and cystic kidneys and die between 6-13 weeks as a result of urinary bladder obstruction. In a complementary loss-of-function approach, we have generated double-homozygous mutant mice that lack both inhibin and FSH by a genetic intercross. In contrast to male mice lacking inhibin alone, 95% of which die of a cancer cachexia-like syndrome by 12 weeks of age, only 30% of the double-mutant male mice lacking both FSH and inhibin die by 1 yr of age. The remaining double-mutant male mice develop slow-growing and less hemorrhagic testicular tumors, which are noted after 12 weeks of age, and have minimal cachexia. Similarly, the double-mutant female mice develop slow-growing, less hemorrhagic ovarian tumors, and 70% of these mice live beyond 17 weeks. The double-mutant mice demonstrate minimal cachexia in contrast to female mice lacking only inhibin, which develop highly hemorrhagic ovarian tumors, leading to cachexia and death by 17 weeks of age in 95% of the cases. The milder cachexia-like symptoms of the inhibin and FSH double-mutant mice are correlated with low levels of serum estradiol and activin A and reduced levels of aromatase mRNA in the gonadal tumors. Based on these and our previous genetic analyses, we conclude that elevated FSH levels do not directly cause gonadal tumors. However, these results suggest FSH is an important trophic modifier factor for gonadal tumorigenesis in

Topics: Activins; Animals; Crosses, Genetic; Female; Follicle Stimulating Hormone; Gene Expression Regulation; Hemorrhage; Homozygote; Humans; Infertility, Female; Infertility, Male; Inhibins; Male; Metallothionein; Mice; Mice, Mutant Strains; Mice, Transgenic; Oligopeptides; Ovarian Neoplasms; Ovary; Peptides; Polycystic Ovary Syndrome; Seminal Vesicles; Steroids; Testicular Neoplasms; Urinary Tract; Wasting Syndrome

Transgenic rats expressing the rat c-myc gene under the control of the human metallothionein II A promoter were produced. We found that the female transgenic rats were fertile, but that the male transgenic rats were sterile. Atrophy of the seminiferous tubules and depletion of sperm were observed in the sterile male testes. The expression of differential stage-specific mRNAs, including those of the c-kit receptor proto-oncogene, meiotic heat-shock protein 70 gene, acrosin gene, and transition protein 1 gene, was analyzed by the reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction during spermatogenesis. The results suggested that spermatogenesis in these sterile rats were arrested at the prophase of meiosis in the primary spermatocytes. We found that apoptotic DNA fragmentation occurred in primary spermatocytes of the sterile transgenic rats. These results suggest that overexpression of the c-myc gene induces apoptosis at the prophase meiosis of the primary spermatocytes thereby causing male sterility in the c-myc transgenic rats.

Topics: Animals; Animals, Genetically Modified; Apoptosis; DNA Fragmentation; DNA-Binding Proteins; Female; Gene Expression; Humans; In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence; Infertility, Male; Male; Meiosis; Metallothionein; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Prophase; Proto-Oncogene Mas; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc; Rats; RNA, Messenger; Spermatocytes; Testis; Transcription Factors; WT1 Proteins

As an approach to elucidating the roles of interferon (IFN) in the normal physiology and diseases of animals, transgenic mice carrying extra mouse IFN-beta genes under the control of a mouse metallothionein I enhancer-promoter were constructed. Upon induction with Cd2+, IFN activity (15-430 IU/ml) was detected in the sera of six out of ten transgenic mouse lines so far obtained. Synthesis of mRNA of the transgene was observed in the liver, the testis and less abundantly in the brain. Interestingly, IFN mRNA was constitutively synthesized in the testis where substantial levels of IFN accumulated without heavy metal induction, whereas synthesis in the liver was mostly dependent on induction by CD2+. Since IFN activity in the serum also depended on heavy metal induction, the IFN in the serum may be produced mainly in the liver. All males expressing the IFN gene in the testis were found to be sterile. Testes were involuted and contained few mature sperm, and degeneration of spermatocytes and spermatids was observed. These findings suggest that high levels of IFN are harmful to spermatogenesis and can cause male sterility.

Topics: Animals; Gene Expression Regulation; Infertility, Male; Interferon Type I; Liver; Male; Metallothionein; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; RNA, Messenger; Testis

A plasmid containing the mouse interferon-alpha 1 gene under control of the mouse metallothionein-I promoter was used for the construction of transgenic mice. Four transgenic mice (two males and two females) were obtained containing 1 to over 10 copies of the introduced DNA. Both males appeared to be sterile. One of the female mice founded a transgenic strain in which the foreign DNA was transmitted to her offspring in a Mendelian fashion. In this strain most male animals are sterile or turn sterile with time. Northern blot analysis of several tissues of these animals shows that expression of the introduced interferon gene occurs only in the testis. In some of the animals biologically active interferon could also be detected in testes homogenates. Histological examination of testis tissue shows an ongoing degeneration of spermatogenic cells leading to calcium deposits and complete atrophy of the seminiferous tubules.

Topics: Animals; Atrophy; DNA; Female; Gene Expression Regulation; Infertility, Male; Interferon Type I; Male; Metallothionein; Mice; Mice, Transgenic; Microtubule Proteins; Nucleic Acid Hybridization; Pedigree; Phosphoproteins; Plasmids; Promoter Regions, Genetic; Seminiferous Tubules; Stathmin; Testis; Transcription, Genetic