Vascular endothelial growth factor regulates germ cell survival during establishment of spermatogenesis in the bovine testis

Kyle C Caires; Jeanene de Avila; Derek J McLean

doi:10.1530/REP-09-0020

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Vascular endothelial growth factor regulates germ cell survival during establishment of spermatogenesis in the bovine testis

Journal article

Open access

Peer reviewed

Vascular endothelial growth factor regulates germ cell survival during establishment of spermatogenesis in the bovine testis

Kyle C Caires, Jeanene de Avila and Derek J McLean

Reproduction (Cambridge, England), Vol.138(4), pp.667-677

10/2009

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1530/REP-09-0020

Handle:

https://hdl.handle.net/2376/104052

PMID: 19633133

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https://doi.org/10.1530/REP-09-0020View

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Abstract

Cattle - metabolism

Testis - metabolism

Spermatogenesis - genetics

Gene Expression - drug effects

Germ Cells - drug effects

Cell Survival - genetics

Male

Transplantation, Heterologous

Spermatozoa - metabolism

Testis - drug effects

Dose-Response Relationship, Drug

Germ Cells - metabolism

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - pharmacology

Cell Survival - drug effects

Spermatogenesis - drug effects

Testis - cytology

Cells, Cultured

Spermatozoa - drug effects

Germ Cells - physiology

Cattle - genetics

Testis - physiology

Animals

Mice, Nude

Spermatozoa - physiology

Mice

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A - physiology

Cattle - physiology

Vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGFA) is a hypoxia-inducible peptide essential for angiogenesis and targets nonvascular cells in a variety of tissues and cell types. The objective of the current study was to determine the function of VEGF during testis development in bulls. We used an explant tissue culture and treatment approach to test the hypothesis that VEGFA-164 could regulate the biological activity of bovine germ cells. We demonstrate that VEGFA, KDR, and FLT1 proteins are expressed in germ and somatic cells in the bovine testis. Treatment of bovine testis tissue with VEGFA in vitro resulted in significantly more germ cells following 5 days of culture when compared with controls. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis determined that VEGF treatment stimulated an intracellular response that prevents germ cell death in bovine testis tissue explants, as indicated by increased expression of BCL2 relative to BAX and decreased expression of BNIP3 at 3, 6, and 24 h during culture. Blocking VEGF activity in vitro using antisera against KDR and VEGF significantly reduced the number of germ cells in VEGF-treated testis tissue to control levels at 120 h. Testis grafting provided in vivo evidence that bovine testis tissue treated with VEGFA for 5 days in culture contained significantly more differentiating germ cells compared with controls. These findings support the conclusion that VEGF supports germ cell survival and sperm production in bulls.

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Title: Vascular endothelial growth factor regulates germ cell survival during establishment of spermatogenesis in the bovine testis
Creators: Kyle C Caires - Department of Animal Sciences and Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, Washington 99164, USA
Jeanene de Avila
Derek J McLean
Publication Details: Reproduction (Cambridge, England), Vol.138(4), pp.667-677
Academic Unit: Center for Reproductive Biology
Publisher: England
Identifiers: 99900546949901842
Language: English
Resource Type: Journal article