LONG‐TERM ALCOHOL CONSUMPTION PROMOTES CHANGES IN Β‐DEFENSIN ISOFORM GENE EXPRESSION TO THE EPIDIDYMIS OF RATS

Background and Aim : Chronic alcohol ingestion causes sexual dysfunction, impairs sperm motility and fertility, and changes semen quality. A evidence suggests that different epididymal β‐defensin proteins secreted from the epididymal epithelium play a fundamental role in the modulation of sperm function and maturation during spermatozoa transition through the epididymis duct. . the aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of long‐term alcohol consumption on epididymis changes, including alterations in β‐defensin isoform gene expression in the epididymis of rats , resulting in infertility and sperm abnormalities. Methods : Male wistar rats were equally divided into control and alcohol (4.5 g/kg BW) groups. After 6 weeks of treatment, the rats were anesthetized by 10% ketamine and 2% xylazine. The caput segment of the left epididymis was immediately fixed in 10% formalin. Then a segment of the right epididymis caput was washed with ice‐cold physiological saline and dried on filter papers for biochemical analyses. To extract total RNA, 100mg of the right epididymis caput tissue was plunged in 1ml of RiboEX as total RNA isolation solution. Also statistical differences between the groups were also determined using independent samples t test.Results : The level of NADPH oxidase was higher in the alcohol group and significantly decreased the mRNA expression of epididymal defensin isoforms 27 and 30, in the alcohol group, compared with the controls. Alcohol treatment caused histopathological changes such as cellular vacuolization, lymphocyte infiltration, interstitial inflammation with (H&E) .The ratios of proliferative cells in the epididymis, which are considered as PCNA positive markers.Conclusion : The results of our study showed a significant decline in the mRNA expression of β‐defensins 27 and 30 in the alcohol group, compared with the control group. proliferation and fibrosis, with obvious damage to the epididymis structure, might be attributed to an increase in NADPH oxidase and polymorphonuclear infiltrations. These findings indicate that alcohol‐induced epididymal damage, infertility and sperm abnormalities might be partly associated with changes in β‐defensin isoforms and epididymal structure, mediated by the increased activities of NADPH oxidase and histological changes

کلیدواژه ها:

Alcohol ، β‐defensin ، Epididymis ، Rat