Apoptotic germ cells (AGC) and FSH regulate perilipins (PLINs) expression and lipid droplets (LD) formation in Sertoli cell (SC)

RINDONE GUSTAVO M; REGUEIRA, MARIANA; CAMBEROS MARIA DEL CARMEN; GALARDO MARÍA NOEL LUJÁN; MERONI SILVINA BEATRIZ; CIGORRAGA SELVA BEATRIZ; GORGA AGOSTINA; PELLIZZARI ELIANA HERMINIA; RIERA MARÍA FERNANDA

MAR DEL PLATA

Congreso; LXI Reunión Científica de la Sociedad Argentina de Investigación Clínica; 2016

SC actively metabolize glucose into lactate, which is the major source of energy for germ cells (GC), and use fatty acids (FA) -stored as triacyglycerides (TAG) in LD- as its own energy source. It is known that LD levels increase when SC engulf and phagocyte AGC. Also, it has been shown that FSH increases the incorporation of acetate into TAG stored within LD, however, it is unknown whether FSH increases LD levels. PLINs are proteins that participate in the formation and maintenance of LD. The regulation of mechanisms involved in PLIN expression and LD formation may be relevant to SC physiology. The general objective of this work was to analyze possible effects of AGC and FSH in LD formation. Specifically, determine the effect of FSH on LD levels and of FSH and AGC on PLIN expression. For this purpose, CS were maintained under Basal (B) conditions or stimulated with FSH for 48h. FSH promoted an increase in LD content (1.5±0.2* number of LD/SC) and an increase in PLIN1 mRNA levels (3.6±0.3*). Additionally, SC cultures obtained from 20-day-old rats were maintained under B conditions or co-cultured with AGC for 48h. AGC were generated by incubating GC obtained from 31-day-old rats in the absence of SC for 48h, a condition known to initiate apoptosis. SC co-cultured with AGC showed an increase in the mRNA levels of PLIN 1, 2 and 3 (2.2±0.2*, 1.7±0.3* and 1.9±0.4*, respectively). All results are expressed as fold-increase, mean±SD, n=3; *p