Porcine vas deferens luminal pH is acutely increased by systemic xylazine administration

Data are accumulating to demonstrate that pH regulation in the male reproductive tract has a vital role in modulating sperm cell fertilizing capacity and, therefore, male fertility. Bicarbonate uptake by sperm cells is required for the achievement of motility levels required for fertilization. Vas deferens epithelial cells can carry out measurable bicarbonate secretion, but the available literature to date reports that the vas deferens luminal content is typically acidic. This study aimed to determine pH in the boar vas deferens lumen and whether modulatory mechanisms exist for regulation of pH in this compartment of the male reproductive tract. A fiber-optic pH probe was used to assess pH in the vas deferens of anesthetized adult boars. The mean pH, derived from multiple measurements at variable positions along the vas deferens lumen, was 7.39 ± 0.09. Furthermore, administration of xylazine, an alpha-2 adrenergic receptor agonist, rapidly (< 10 min) alkalinized the vas deferens lumen in most cases. Since the duct was transected proximal to the site of measurements, the observations rule out the possibility that alkalinization resulted from secretion in more proximal portions of the duct. These results indicate that the boar vas deferens lumen can be alkaline, and suggest that porcine vas deferens epithelia increase net bicarbonate secretion in vivo, following systemic alpha-2 adrenergic stimulation. This secretory response greatly changes the luminal environment to which sperm cells are exposed, which will initiate or enhance motility, and is expected to modulate male fertility

Irrigação do nó sinoatrial em suínos da raça Piètrain

The arterial blood supply of the sinoatrial node has been studied in 30 hearts of females, of Piètrain swine breed. The hearts had, after being detached and adequately cleaned, their coronary arteries injected with colored Neoprene latex 450 solution, and fixed later in formalin solution at 10% for consecutive dissection. In 27 (90% ± 5.47) hearts the sinus node is nourished by collateral branches of the right coronary artery, more exactly, of the right proximal atrial branch exclusively in 18 (60% ± 8.94) organs or associated: with the right intermedio atrial branch in 7 (23.33% ± 7.72) hearts and with the right distal atrial branch in 2 (6.66% ± 4.55). In 3 (10% ± 5.47) organs, the sinus node is nourished by collaterals coming from the right and left coronary arteries, always by the right proximal atrial branch associated with the left proximal atrial branch in 2 (6.66% ± 4.55) or with right intermedio and left proximal atrials branches in 1 (3.33% ± 3.27) organ. Arterial anastomosis involving branches related to the nourishment of the sinus node in swine of Piètrain breed were observed.Estudou-se, em 30 (trinta) corações de suínos da raça Piètrain, adultos e de ambos os sexos, a irrigação do nó sinoatrial, visando conhecer a origem, trajeto e distribuição dos vasos responsáveis pela nutrição deste tecido, bem como eventuais anastomoses que pudessem ocorrer entre estes colaterais. Para tanto, os corações tiveram seus sistemas coronarianos canulados e injetados com uma solução corada de Neoprene látex 450, fixados em solução aquosa de formol a 10% e dissecados os ramos atriais das artérias coronárias esquerda e direita. Constatou-se que em 27 (90% ± 5,47) corações o tecido nodal é irrigado por colaterais provenientes da A. coronária direita, mais precisamente pelo ramo atrial proximal direito, isoladamente em 18 (60% ± 8,94) órgãos ou associado: ao ramo atrial intermédio direito em 7 (23,33% ± 7,72) ou ao ramo atrial distal direito em 2 (6,66% ± 4,55). Em 3 (10% ± 5,47) órgãos, o nó sinoatrial é vascularizado por colaterais provenientes das Aa. coronárias direita e esquerda, sempre por meio do ramo atrial proximal direito, associado ao ramo atrial proximal esquerdo em 2 (6,66% ± 4,55) ou aos ramos atriais intermédio direito e proximal esquerdo em 1 (3,33% ± 3,27) órgão. Evidenciaram-se, ainda, anastomoses travadas entre os diferentes vasos que participam da irrigação do nó sinoatrial em suínos da raça Piètrain

Hedgehog signalling promotes germ cell survival in the rat testis

Hedgehog (Hh) signalling has a crucial role in testis development. Sertoli cell-derived desert hedgehog (DHH) guides the formation of testis cords and differentiation of foetal-type Leydig cells. Dhh mutant mice are infertile due to a block in germ cell differentiation, hypogonadism and hypoandrogenism. Hh signalling pathway components are also expressed in postnatal testis. In the rat testis the transcription factor of the Hh pathway, glioma-associated oncogene homologue (GLI1), is expressed by a wide variety of germ cells. This suggests that Hh signalling is involved in spermatogenesis at many different levels. Our data show that canonical Hh signalling is turned off in early condensing spermatids that strongly express the negative regulator of the pathway, suppressor of fused (SUFU). Most of the Hh pathway specific mRNAs display the highest values in stages II–VI of the rat seminiferous epithelial cycle. The key endocrine regulator of germ cell differentiation, FSH, down-regulates Dhh mRNA levels in vitro. Hh signalling inhibition in vitro leads to massive apoptosis of germ cells. In prepubertal rat testis imatinib mesylate-induced inhibition of tyrosine kinases impinges on Dhh transcript levels and Hh signalling. Our data indicate that Hh signalling is part of the paracrine signalling network in the rat testis. It promotes the survival of germ cells and is suppressed by FSH

Mammalian sex determination—insights from humans and mice

Disorders of sex development (DSD) are congenital conditions in which the development of chromosomal, gonadal, or anatomical sex is atypical. Many of the genes required for gonad development have been identified by analysis of DSD patients. However, the use of knockout and transgenic mouse strains have contributed enormously to the study of gonad gene function and interactions within the development network. Although the genetic basis of mammalian sex determination and differentiation has advanced considerably in recent years, a majority of 46,XY gonadal dysgenesis patients still cannot be provided with an accurate diagnosis. Some of these unexplained DSD cases may be due to mutations in novel DSD genes or genomic rearrangements affecting regulatory regions that lead to atypical gene expression. Here, we review our current knowledge of mammalian sex determination drawing on insights from human DSD patients and mouse models