ACTA VETERINARIA ET ZOOTECHNICA SINICA ›› 2016, Vol. 47 ›› Issue (10): 2136-2142.doi: 10.11843/j.issn.0366-6964.2016.10.023

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Effect of Heat Stress on the Expression of TGF-β3 and Claudin-11 Protein in Mature Boar Testis

ZHANG Zhen,FAN Xiao-rui,XI Hua-ming,LIANG Ya-jun,HE Jun-ping*   

  1. (College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine,Shanxi Agricultural University,Taigu 030801,China)
  • Received:2016-04-25 Online:2016-10-23 Published:2016-10-23

Abstract:

The purposes of this study was to explore the expression and location of TGF-β3 and Claudin-11 in the boar testis under heat stress (37-40 ℃) and normal temperature (20-27 ℃).Six boars (Landrace,18 months of age) were used and divided into 2 groups.3 boars were homed in a thermo-controlled temperature (37-40 ℃,3 h daily,consecutive 7 d) house as a heat stress group.After heat treatment,the boars were driven back to normal temperature (20-27 ℃).The other 3 boars were homed in 20-27 ℃ house as a control group.7 days later,all boars were castrated and the testis tissues were harvested.qRT-PCR,Western blotting and immunohistochemistry were used to explore the changes of mRNA and protein in response to heat treatment.qRT-PCR showed that relative expression levels of TGF-β3 mRNA significantly increased (P<0.01),while relative expression levels of Claudin-11 mRNA decreased(P<0.05) in heat treatment group compared with the control.Western blotting found that the expression levels of TGF-β3 protein significantly increased(P<0.05)in heat treatment group,while the expression levels of Claudin-11 protein decreased(P<0.05)compared with the control.Immunohistochemistry results showed that:TGF-β3 immunoreactivity staining was observed in all stages of germ cells and Sertoli cells in both heat stress group and the control,and the depth and area of the positive staining in heat stress group were higher than that of the control;Claudin-11 immunoreactivity staining decreased in heat stress boars compared with the control in that Claudin-11 immunoreactivity staining localized in a consecutive strand area corresponding to the blood-testis barrier in the testis of control boars,while Claudin-11 immunoreactivity staining was limited to Sertoli cells and no obvious immunoreactivity strand that could be found in heat stress group.Then we could get a conclusion that heat stress damaged the sperm quality and spermatogenesis maybe partly via heat stress increased the expression of TGF-β3 and decreased the expression of Claudin-11 in boar testis.

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