Submitted August 15, 2006
Returned for revision October 2, 2006
Accepted April 1, 2007
Testis
Changes in Lipids Containing Long- and Very Long-chain
Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Cryptorchid Rat Testes
Natalia E. Furland *,
Eduardo N. Maldonado ,
Pablo Ayuza Aresti ,
and
Marta I. Aveldano
* To whom correspondence should be addressed. E-mail: nfurland{at}criba.edu.ar.
Abstract
The aim of this work was to examine the effect of
experimental cryptorchidism on rat testicular
phospholipids and neutral lipids containing long-chain
(C18-C22) and very long-chain (VLC)
(C24-C32) polyunsaturated fatty
acids (PUFA). The weight of the cryptorchid testis was
nearly half that of the contralateral control at
post-surgical days 7-10 owing to depletion of germ cells.
Concomitantly, the amount of major glycerophospholipids
(GPL) and sphingomyelin (SM) per testis decreased. Both
these lipids lost their characteristic long-chain and very
long-chain PUFA, notably 22:5n-6 and 28:4n-6,
respectively, suggesting that these species are linked to
membranes of germ cells. By contrast, the amount and the
concentration of triglycerides (TG: triacylglycerols and
1-O-alkyl-2,3-diacylglycerols), and cholesterol
esters (CE), increased several fold in the cells surviving
in the cryptorchid testis, mainly Sertoli cells. All these
neutral lipids, but especially CE, accumulated large
amounts of the major PUFA of testis, namely 22:5n-6, and
pentaenes with longer carbon chains (mainly 24:5n-6 in TG
and 28:5n-6 in CE). This accretion suggests that neutral
lipids may store preformed PUFA coming from dying germ
cell GPL and also VLCPUFA no longer needed as a source of
PUFA destined to assemble new germ cell GPL. The lipid
adjustments observed in cryptorchidism suggest a possible
function of Sertoli cell CE in the turnover and
conservation of PUFA within seminiferous tubules.
Key words:
Testis •
Sertoli cells •
Spermatid •
Spermatogenesis •
Stress
