Enhancement of germ cell apoptosis induced by ethanol in transgenic mice overexpressing Fas ligand

Hua Hu Jia, Jie Jiang, Hua Ma Ying, Na Yang, Hu Zhang Mao, Min Wu, Jian Fei, Li He Gou

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

43 Scopus citations

Abstract

It was suggested that chronic ethanol exposure could result in testicular germ cell apoptosis, but the mechanism is still unclear. In the present study, we use a model of transgenic mice ubiquitously overexpressing human FasL to investigate whether Fas ligand plays a role in ethanol-induced testicular germ cell apoptosis. Both wild-type (WT) mice and transgenic (TG) mice were treated with acute ethanol (20% v/v) by introperitoneal injection for five times. After ethanol injection, WT mice displayed up-regulation of Fas ligand in the testes, which was shown by FITC-conjugated flow cytometry and western blotting. Moreover, TG mice exhibited significantly more apoptotic germ cells than WT mice did after ethanol injection, which was demonstrated by DNA fragmentation, PI staining flow cytometry and TUNEL staining. In addition, histopathological examination revealed that degenerative changes of epithelial component of the tubules occurred in FasL overexpressing transgenic mice while testicular morphology was normal in wild-type mice after acute ethanol exposure, suggesting FasL expression determines the sensitivity of testes to ethanol in mice. In summary, we provide the direct evidences that Fas ligand mediates the apoptosis of testicular germ cells induced by acute ethanol using FasL transgenic mice.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)361-367
Number of pages7
JournalCell Research
Volume13
Issue number5
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 2003
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Apoptosis
  • Ethanol
  • Fas ligand
  • Testes
  • Transgenic mouse

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Molecular Biology
  • Cell Biology

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