@Article{biocell.2021.09034,
AUTHOR = {LEI YU, ZHEN FAN, HONGQIANG WANG, WENXIAN LI, TAO JING, QIANG LI, SHENQIAN LI, PEITAO WANG, XUJUN XUAN},
TITLE = {Ala-Gln improves varicocele-induced testicular injury by increasing HSP70 and antioxidant activity in male rats},
JOURNAL = {BIOCELL},
VOLUME = {45},
YEAR = {2021},
NUMBER = {2},
PAGES = {323--329},
URL = {http://www.techscience.com/biocell/v45n2/41545},
ISSN = {1667-5746},
ABSTRACT = {This worked aimed to test the hypothesis that L-alanyl-L-glutamine (Ala-Gln) improves the varicocele-induced
testicular injury, which causes male infertility. For this purpose, fifty adult male Wistar rats received the varicocele (VC)
surgery at the left renal vein. Biomarkers were determined 2, 4, and 8 weeks after VC (n = 10/each detection). Four weeks
after VC, rats received Ala-Gln (1.125 g/kg) treatment with and or saline for 1 week (n = 10/each group). Rats in the sham
group were also detected for biomarkers at 2, 4, and 8 weeks (n = 10/each detection). VC caused testicular injury detected
by hematoxylin–eosin (H&E) staining, immunohistochemistry, and TUNEL assay. HSP70 mRNA was detected
quantitative RT-PCR, SOD, and CAT by nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT) method and 8-OHDG by ELISA. The results
showed that varicocele induced injury in the testes. The weight of the left testes was lower than that of the right testes
in VC-bearing rats (<i>p</i> < 0.01). The relative numbers of sustentacular and spermatogenic cells were decreased after VC
(<i>p</i> < 0.01). In sham-4 wk, VC-4wk, VC-5wk and Ala-Gln groups, the apoptosis index was 5.10 ± 1.14, 13.22 ± 3.63,
33.62 ± 3.56 and 22.33 ± 2.61, relative level of HSP70 mRNA 1.00 ± 0.12, 0.53 ± 0.05, 0.51 ± 0.04 and 1.62 ± 0.15
fold, SOD 16.4 ± 0.23, 13.4 ± 0.17, 10.01 ± 1.06 and 19.53 ± 2.26 U/mg protein, CAT 2.16 ± 0.31, 1.07 ± 0.28, and
1.31 ± 0.26 and 3.46 ± 0.71 U/mg, 8-OHDG 5.23 ± 0.67, 6.81 ± 0.78, 7.16 ± 1.22 and 4.14 ± 0.73 pg/μg DNA,
respectively (<i>p</i> < 0.01). Our results suggest that Ala-Gln prevented the VC-induced testicular injury. We have firstly
reported that Ala-Gln protects against varicocele-induced testicular injuries by up-regulation of HSP70 and
antioxidants, SOD and CAT, and down-regulation of oxidant 8-OHDG, resulting in reducing apoptosis in the testis.},
DOI = {10.32604/biocell.2021.09034}
}