The emerging pathophysiology of age-related testicular degeneration with a focus on the stallion and an update on potential therapies.
Abstract: Studies in laboratory rodents are shedding light on the pathophysiology of testicular ageing and now suggest a complicated basis for age-related declines in testicular function. A highly significant contributor to infertility may involve failure of specific and complex testicular microenvironments (niches) comprised of a variety of cellular and molecular components. Our laboratory has applied testis tissue xenografting to the study of testicular ageing in the stallion. Using this technique, we have confirmed that the disease is tissue autologous. As would be expected from a tissue autologous disease, hormonal and non-hormonal therapies designed to drive the function of the diseased testis are ineffective. However, we have some evidence that contact with young, normal testicular tissue may improve the condition of aged, degenerate testes. Perhaps, paracrine factors from young testicular cells may partially restore a young microenvironment and allow for the maintenance of testicular function. These findings form the basis for future studies designed to determine whether cells, genes or proteins from a normal testis can aid the function of a degenerate testis.
© 2012 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.
Publication Date: 2012-08-01 PubMed ID: 22827368DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2012.02073.xGoogle Scholar: Lookup
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- Journal Article
- Research Support
- Non-U.S. Gov't
- Research Support
- U.S. Gov't
- Non-P.H.S.
- Review
Summary
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The research article discusses how age-related changes in testicular function can lead to infertility in stallions, focusing on how microenvironments within the testes are affected. The findings suggest that interaction with young, healthy testicular tissue could potentially improve the condition of older, deteriorating testes.
Understanding Age-Related Testicular Degeneration
- This research sheds light on how age impacts the function of testicles, leading to a decline in fertility. The main area of focus is the effect on specific testicular microenvironments or ‘niches’ composed of various cellular and molecular components.
- A key finding from the study, which used testis tissue xenografting, is that age-related testicular degeneration is a tissue autologous disease. This means that the disease originates from the patient’s own cells and that it is influenced by age-related changes within the body.
- The xenografting technique helped confirm that both hormonal and non-hormonal therapies designed to stimulate the function of the diseased testis are ineffective due to its autologous nature.
Interaction with Young Testicular Tissue
- The study shows evidence that contact with young, healthy testicular tissue can improve the condition of old, degenerating testes.
- It’s suggested that paracrine factors, which are molecules secreted by cells into the surrounding environment to communicate or influence other cells, from young testicular cells may partially restore a youthful microenvironment, maintaining testicular function.
- These findings point towards this interaction as a potential therapeutic approach, focusing on cellular, genetic, or protein-based interventions from a healthy testicle to assist deteriorating ones.
Future Research Directions
- The study lays the groundwork for further research to confirm whether cells, genes, or proteins from a healthy testis can truly improve the function of a degenerate one. Understanding how these interactions occur and how they might be harnessed for therapeutic purposes will be central to these future investigations.
Cite This Article
APA
Turner RM, Zeng W.
(2012).
The emerging pathophysiology of age-related testicular degeneration with a focus on the stallion and an update on potential therapies.
Reprod Domest Anim, 47 Suppl 4, 178-186.
https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0531.2012.02073.x Publication
Researcher Affiliations
- Department of Clinical Studies, New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, Kennett Square, PA 19348, USA. rmturner@vet.upenn.edu
MeSH Terms
- Aging / physiology
- Animals
- Horses / physiology
- Male
- Testis / physiology
Citations
This article has been cited 3 times.- Shen S, Zhang F, Zhang Y, Li Y, Niu Y, Pang L, Wang J. Construction of multiple concentration gradients for single-cell level drug screening.. Microsyst Nanoeng 2023;9:46.
- Toishi Y, Tsunoda N, Nagata SI, Kirisawa R, Nagaoka K, Watanabe G, Yanagawa Y, Katagiri S, Taya K. Evaluation of the chemiluminescent enzyme immunoassay system for the measurement of testosterone in the serum and whole blood of stallions.. J Reprod Dev 2018 Feb 27;64(1):41-47.
- Zeng W, Alpaugh W, Stefanovski D, Schlingmann K, Dobrinski I, Turner RM. Xenografting of isolated equine (Equus caballus) testis cells results in de novo morphogenesis of seminiferous tubules but not spermatogenesis.. Andrology 2017 Mar;5(2):336-346.
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