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Spatiotemporal expression patterns of natriuretic peptides in rat testis and epididymis during postnatal development
Author(s) -
Özbek Mehmet,
Hitit Mustafa,
Öztop Mustafa,
Beyaz Feyzullah,
Ergün Emel,
Ergün Levent
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
andrologia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.633
H-Index - 59
eISSN - 1439-0272
pISSN - 0303-4569
DOI - 10.1111/and.13387
Subject(s) - gonocyte , medicine , endocrinology , spermatogenesis , sertoli cell , epididymis , biology , period (music) , seminiferous tubule , rete testis , andrology , sperm , genetics , physics , acoustics
Natriuretic peptide (NP) family is composed of atrial, brain and C‐type NP (NPPA, NPPB and NPPC). Here, we aimed to investigate NP expression in testis and epididymis during postnatal development. NPPA expression was observed in gonocytes at prepubertal period but in only spermatocytes in pachytene and leptotene/zygotene stage at pubertal period. In prepubertal and pubertal periods, we detected NPPB expression in only Leydig cells. However, NPPC expression was detected in all of the gonocytes and Sertoli cells, spermatocytes and some interstitial cells in prepubertal and pubertal periods. In postpubertal and mature periods, NPPA and NPPB staining were detected in Leydig cells, elongated and round spermatids but not in spermatogonia and spermatocytes. However, we observed NPPC expression in all cells of the seminiferous tubules and Leydig cells in the postpubertal and mature periods. Epididymal epithelium showed intense NPPC expression during postnatal period but weak NPPA and NPPB expression in prepubertal and pubertal periods. The expression of three NPs in the testis significantly increased after puberty. In conclusion, puberty had a significant effect on NP expression in testis. Unlike NPPA and NPPB, expression of NPPC in all cells of the seminiferous tubule suggests that NPPC is effective in each step of spermatogenesis.