Anti-Müllerian hormone in feline cryptorchidism: Serum levels, tissue expression, and implications for testicular health

IF 2.4 2区 农林科学 Q3 REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
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Abstract

Anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) has become a pivotal subject in the study of testicular descent, maturation, integrity, and male fertility. Recent studies explored its roles and implications across various domestic species. A prominent approach involved the understanding of the modulation of AMH in reproductive disorders, including cryptorchidism. While substantial findings have been reported in dogs, ruminants, swine, and horses, data on AMH in feline cryptorchidism remains limited. Here, we aimed to bridge this gap by comparing AMH serum levels among cryptorchid, healthy intact, and castrated tomcats, employing an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kit for quantification. In addition, AMH expression in retained and descended testes was evaluated through immunohistochemistry, with positive staining quantified via pixel analysis in two distinct regions of interest: the seminiferous tubule and the interstitial space. Furthermore, tissue samples were subjected to histological evaluation and morphometric analysis, which included the calculation of seminiferous tubule areas (STA) and assessment of Johnsen scores. Thus, the relationship between AMH expression, altered testicular histology, and impaired spermatogenesis could be examined. The expression of AMH in retained and descended testes, was investigated, and the relationship between AMH expression, altered testicular histology, and impaired spermatogenesis was examined. Mean serum AMH levels differed significantly (P < 0.001) across the different groups being 15.35 ± 4.66 ng/mL (mean ± SD) in healthy intact tomcats (n = 15), 25.55 ± 2.86 ng/mL (mean ± SD) in cryptorchids (n = 10) and below 0.015 ng/mL in castrated cats (n = 10). STAs and Johnsen scores were significantly reduced in retained testes when compared to descended gonads (P < 0.01). Furthermore, serum AMH was negatively correlated with both the STA (ρ = −0.725, P < 0.001) and the Johnsen scores (ρ = −0.699, P < 0.001), suggesting its potential value for tissue integrity and spermatogenesis evaluation. In addition, positive immunostaining was significantly higher in retained testes (P < 0.05), especially in the interstitial space (P < 0.01), suggesting an involvement of the Leydig cells. Additionally, the increased interstitial expression was linked to the degree of tissue degeneration and the impaired spermatogenesis being negatively corelated with both Johnsen scores (ρ = −0.309, P < 0.01) and STA (ρ = −0.208, P < 0.05). Our findings underscore the potential of AMH in assessing testicular health and reveal possible interspecific differences, stressing the need for further investigation in cats.

猫隐睾症中的抗缪勒氏管激素:血清水平、组织表达以及对睾丸健康的影响
抗缪勒氏管激素(AMH)已成为研究睾丸下降、成熟、完整性和男性生育能力的一个关键课题。最近的研究探讨了它在不同家畜物种中的作用和影响。一个突出的研究方法是了解 AMH 在生殖系统疾病(包括隐睾症)中的调节作用。虽然在狗、反刍动物、猪和马身上有大量发现,但有关 AMH 在猫科动物隐睾症中的作用的数据仍然有限。在这里,我们采用酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)试剂盒对隐睾、健康完好和阉割的雄猫的 AMH 血清水平进行了定量分析,旨在弥补这一空白。此外,还通过免疫组织化学方法评估了保留睾丸和去势睾丸中的 AMH 表达情况,并通过像素分析对两个不同区域(曲细精管和间质空间)的阳性染色进行了量化。此外,还对组织样本进行了组织学评估和形态计量分析,包括计算曲细精管面积(STA)和评估约翰森评分。因此,AMH表达、睾丸组织学改变和精子发生障碍之间的关系可以得到检验。研究人员调查了保留睾丸和下降睾丸中AMH的表达情况,并研究了AMH表达、睾丸组织学改变和精子发生障碍之间的关系。不同组别的平均血清 AMH 水平差异显著(P < 0.001):健康完整的雄猫(n = 15)为 15.35 ± 4.66 ng/mL(平均 ± SD),隐睾(n = 10)为 25.55 ± 2.86 ng/mL(平均 ± SD),阉猫(n = 10)低于 0.015 ng/mL。与退化性腺相比,保留睾丸的 STA 和 Johnsen 评分明显降低(P < 0.01)。此外,血清AMH与STA(ρ = -0.725,P < 0.001)和Johnsen评分(ρ = -0.699,P < 0.001)呈负相关,表明其在组织完整性和精子发生评估方面具有潜在价值。此外,阳性免疫染色在保留睾丸中明显较高(P <0.05),尤其是在间质中(P <0.01),这表明精原细胞参与其中。此外,间质表达的增加还与组织变性程度和精子发生障碍有关,并与Johnsen评分(ρ = -0.309,P <0.01)和STA(ρ = -0.208,P <0.05)呈负相关。我们的研究结果强调了AMH在评估睾丸健康状况方面的潜力,并揭示了可能存在的种间差异,强调有必要对猫进行进一步研究。
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来源期刊
Theriogenology
Theriogenology 农林科学-生殖生物学
CiteScore
5.50
自引率
14.30%
发文量
387
审稿时长
72 days
期刊介绍: Theriogenology provides an international forum for researchers, clinicians, and industry professionals in animal reproductive biology. This acclaimed journal publishes articles on a wide range of topics in reproductive and developmental biology, of domestic mammal, avian, and aquatic species as well as wild species which are the object of veterinary care in research or conservation programs.
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