TESTICULAR INTERLEUKIN 1 (IL1): ITS ROLE ON THE REGULATION OF CYCLOOXYGENASE 2 (COX2) EXPRESSION AND POSSIBLE RELEVANCE TO MALE FERTILITY

MATZKIN, MARIA EUGENIA; GONZALEZ-CALVAR, SILVIA I; MAYERHOFER, ARTUR; CALANDRA, RICARDO S; FRUNGIERI. MONICA B

Buenos Aires, Argentina

Congreso; VIII Jornadas Multidisciplinarias de la Sociedad Argentina de Biologia; 2006

We have described: 1) an increased number of macrophages (MAC) containing IL1 and induction of interstitial COX2 expression (key enzyme in the biosynthesis of prostaglandins, PCs) in testicular biopsies from infertile men, 2) COX2 expression in testes of adult Syrian hamsters exposed to a long-day photoperiod (LD, 14h light: lOh dark) but not in those exposed to a short-day photoperiod (SD, 6h light: 18h dark), 3) PGJ2 induction of human testicular fibrosis, 4) PGF2 inhibition of hamster testicular testosterone production (Frungieri et al, Fertil Steril 78,2002; PNAS USA99,2002; Endocrinology 147,2006). The aims of this study were to investigate the testicular expression of IL1, its receptors (RI and RJI), the antagonist receptor (Ra), as well as the effect oflLl on COX2 expression. Expression of IL1 and RI was detected by RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry in COX2-positive Leydig cells isolated by: 1) laser microdissection from human biopsies of patients with germ arrest and Sertoli cell on!y syndromes, 2) Percoll density gradient from LD-hamsters. In addition, IL1 significantly increased COX2 expression (RT-PCR, 'fold change' units, basal: 1±0.2; IL1 50 ng/ml: 8.1±0.7, PO.05) in LD-hamster Leydig cells. COX2-negative Leydig cells from SD-hamsters did not expressed IL 1. Thus, IL1 induces testicular COX2 expression in hamsters. Normal human testes with few ILl-positive MAC do not express COX2, but pathological human testes with an increased number of MAC show expression of IL1, RI and COX2 in Leydig cells suggesting a key role of IL 1 on testicular COX2 expression and PGs production in male infertility.