DHT Deficiency Perturbs the Integrity of the Rat Seminiferous Epithelium by Disrupting Tight and Adherens Junctions

April 2011 in “ Folia Histochemica et Cytobiologica ”

Agnieszka Kolasa, Mariola Marchlewicz, L Wenda-Rózewicka, Barbara Wiszniewska

DHT finasteride seminiferous epithelium tight junctions adherens junctions N-cadherin β-catenin occludin vinculin hormonal imbalance dihydrotestosterone Propecia

TLDR DHT deficiency can disrupt cell connections in rat testes, possibly affecting fertility.

In a study on rats, DHT deficiency induced by finasteride led to morphological changes in the seminiferous epithelium, characterized by premature germ cells sloughing into the lumen of seminiferous tubules. This disorder was linked to the disintegration of intercellular junctions, with decreased expression of proteins such as N-cadherin, β-catenin, and occludin, which are crucial for tight and adherens junctions. Although there was an increase in vinculin expression, it was insufficient to maintain proper adherens junction function. The hormonal imbalance affected the expression of junctional proteins, potentially leading to impaired fertility due to the untimely release of immature germ cells.

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Research cited in this study

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research DHT Deficiency Perturbs the Integrity of the Rat Seminiferous Epithelium by Disrupting Tight and Adherens Junctions

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research Epididymis in an Experimental Model of DHT Deficiency: Immunolocalization of ERalpha and ERbeta in Rat Epididymal Epithelial Cells. In Vivo and In Vitro Studies

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DHT deficiency in rats reduces sperm content and affects testis structure over time.

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