Changes in lipids containing long-and very long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids in cryptorchid rat testes

FURLAND, NATALIA EDITH; MALDONADO, EDUARDO NÉSTOR; AYUZA ARESTI, PABLO LEONARDO; AVELDAÑO, MARTA ISABEL

BIOLOGY OF REPRODUCTION

SOC STUDY REPRODUCTION

Año: 2007 vol. 77 p. 181 - 188

0006-3363

The aim of this work was to examine the effect of experimental cryptorchidism on rat testicular phospholipids and neutral lipids containing long-chain (C18-C22) and very long-chain (VLC) (C24 -C32) polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA). The weight of the cryptorchid testis was nearly half that of the contralateral control at post-surgical days 7-10 owing to depletion of germ cells. Concomitantly, the amount of major glycerophospholipids (GPL) and sphingomyelin (SM) per testis decreased. Both these lipids lost their characteristic long-chain and very long-chain PUFA, notably 22:5n-6 and 28:4n-6, respectively, suggesting that these species are linked to membranes of germ cells. By contrast, the amount and the concentration of triglycerides (TG: triacylglycerols and 1-O-alkyl-2,3-diacylglycerols), and cholesterol esters (CE), increased several fold in the cells surviving in the cryptorchid testis, mainly Sertoli cells. All these neutral lipids, but especially CE, accumulated large amounts of the major PUFA of testis, namely 22:5n-6, and pentaenes with longer carbon chains (mainly 24:5n-6 in TG and 28:5n-6 in CE). This accretion suggests that neutral lipids may store preformed PUFA coming from dying germ cell GPL and also VLCPUFA no longer needed as a source of PUFA destined to assemble new germ cell GPL. The lipid adjustments observed in cryptorchidism suggest a possible function of Sertoli cell CE in the turnover and conservation of PUFA within seminiferous tubules.