SERPIN F1 (PEDF) EXPRESSION IN MURINE MALE TRACT SPERM AND ROLE AS CAPACITATION FACTOR

CONTE, MARÍA INÉS; SAEZ LANCELLOTTI TANIA ESTEFANÍA; LOPEZ MARIA ELIS; IPPOLITTI CRISTINA; MANRIQUE VALERIA; SILVA PERELLO GIULIANA; CALERI VILLANUEVA RENATA; FORNES MIGUEL; AGUILERA MERLO CLAUDIA; MONCLUS MARÍA DE LOS ÁNGELES

Congreso; REUNION CONJUNTA BIOCIENCIAS SAIC 2021; 2021

Introduction: PEDF is a serin protease inhibitor recently described by our group in male reproductive tract of adult Wistar rat with androgen dependency. It is known that sperm reaches their maturity in epididymis and then are capable of fecundation in female tract after a series of changes such like capacitation, hypermotility and acrosomal reaction.Objectives: analyse the PEDF expression in male tract and its effect over mouse sperm capacitation by the addition of recombinant PEDF (rPEDF) to the media.Material and methods: mice C57/bl6 were sacrificed, testis and epididymis were removed and cauda sperms and tissues were obtained. We detected the presence of PEDF in mice reproductive tract by immunocytochemistry and over the sperm cells by immune fluorescence. Capacitation assays were performed. Briefly, sperm were pre incubated with rPEDF in two different concentrations: 50 and 100 ng/ml for 20 minutes in capacitating and non-capacitating media (HMB/HM). After 80 minutes, the acrosomal reaction was evaluated by Coomasie blue stain and was observed in microscope Nikon 80i. We counted 200 sperm by condition and the results were compare respect the non-capacitated state and the incubation in presence or absence of rPEDF. Results: PEDF was expressed in the mice reproductive tract from testis to epididymis. Positive stain was observed mostly in seminiferous epithelium and peritubular cells. In epididymis it was detected in cytoplasm of caput epididymal cells and in cauda the sign was mainly nuclear. The capacitation assays shown an increase in acrosomal reaction (10 and 20%) due to the addition of 50 and 100 ng/ml of rPEDF respectably (Chi square test). Conclusion: The presence of PEDF in the murine model suggests that could be involved in sperm biology in the male and inside female tract and contribute with the fertilization process. Further studies are needed in order to clarify PEDF role in sperm capacitation and or acrosomal reaction.