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BOR - Papers in Press, published online ahead of print October 17, 2002.
Biol Reprod 2002, 10.1095/biolreprod.102.008953
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Submitted July 2, 2002
Returned for revision July 24, 2002
Accepted August 27, 2002

Male Reproductive Tract


Messenger RNA (mRNA) Expression for the Antimicrobial Peptides ß-Defensin-1 and ß-Defensin-2 in the Male Rat Reproductive Tract: ß-Defensin-1 mRNA in the Epididymis Is Regulated by Androgens and Not Bacterial Lipopolysaccharides

M. A. Palladino 1*, T. A. Mallonga 1, M. S. Mishra 1
1 Monmouth University

* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: mpalladi{at}monmouth.edu.

Abstract

Mechanisms of antimicrobial protection in male reproductive organs are poorly understood. Defensins are antimicrobial peptides produced by many epithelial tissues. Goals of this study were (1) to test the hypothesis that adult rat male reproductive organs express mRNA for rat ß-defensin-1 (RBD-1) and ß-defensin-2 (RBD-2), (2) to examine if defensin mRNA expression in the testis and epididymis is induced by bacterial lipopolysaccharides (LPS) and (3) to investigate effects of androgens on defensin mRNA expression in the epididymis. Total RNA from reproductive organs was analyzed by relative RT-PCR. RBD-1 mRNA was detected in the testis. All segments of epididymis expressed equal levels of RBD-1 mRNA with higher expression than the testis, while accessory sex glands showed expression equal to the testis. Expression of RBD-2 mRNA was primarily restricted to the penis. Effects of inflammation on defensin mRNA expression were examined in rats administered a unilateral injection of LPS from P. aeruginosa or E. coli. Expression of RBD-1 mRNA in the testis and epididymis was unaffected by LPS. To test the hypothesis that circulating androgens regulate RBD-1 expression in the epididymis, rats were subjected to bilateral orchiectomy (orch), or orch plus a 3.5-cm implant containing testosterone. RBD-1 mRNA expression in initial segment and caput was unchanged following 1d orch but showed androgen-sensitive expression after 5 and 15 days. RBD-1 expression in corpus and cauda was not affected by orch. Results of this study suggest that RBD-1 may play an antimicrobial role in the testis and epididymis.



Key words: Male Reproductive Tract • Testis • Epididymis • Gene regulation


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Copyright © 2002 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction.