Estudio inmunohistoquímico de evaluación de apoptosis en el testículo fetal de ovejas tratadas in utero con betametasona.

PEDRANA G; PÉREZ W; VITARELLA F; BARAVALLE C; VELÁZQUEZ M; MARTIN GB; ORTEGA H

Córdoba

Congreso; XI Congreso Argentino de Ciencias Morfológicas. I Congreso Internacional; 2008

Prenatal glucocorticoide is a common therapy in pregnant woman with risk of premature delivery. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of synthetic glucocorticoid (betamethasone) in expression of Caspase, Bcl-2 and Bax proteins in foetal testis at 116 days of gestation. Pregnant ewes bearing singleton foetuses (n=24) were injected subcutaneously with 2 doses of betamethasone (0,5 mg/kg each one) at 104 and 111 days of gestation. The immunoexpression of Bcl-2, Bax and Caspase was detected in testicular cells in treated and control animals. We showed the cellular distribution of apoptosis markers Caspase, Bcl2 and Bax in testicular cords at 116 days of gestation treated with betamethasone. It is concluded that betamethasone treatment stimulated positively apoptosis. However, no differences were found in expression of Caspase or Bcl-2 between control and treated animals (Table 1). We concluded that glucocorticoid treatment had a positive effect in testis cell expression of both promoters and inhibitors of apoptosis. Foetal sheep testes of treated and controls animals at third trimester of gestation expressed both Bax and Bcl-2 proteins. However balance shifted towards apoptosis in treated animals. In conclusion, betamethasone treatment promotes the expression of Bax proteins that promotes apoptosis.  Reproductive function may be influenced by intrauterine events like in utero glucocorticoids. We need further studies to know if glucocorticoids alter permanently testicular cells function to state that they are involved in programming of testis activity and male reproduction.