Hepatocyte growth factor modulates in vitro survival and proliferation of germ cells during postnatal testis development

The Journal of Endocrinology
A CatizoneM Galdieri

Abstract

The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is a pleiotropic cytokine that influences mitogenesis, motility and differentiation of many different cell types by its tyrosine kinase receptor c-Met. We previously demonstrated that the c-Met/HGF system is present and functionally active during postnatal testis development. We found also that spermatozoa express c-Met and that HGF has a positive effect on the maintenance of sperm motility. In the present paper, we extend our study on the germ cells at different stages of differentiation during the postnatal development of the testis. We demonstrate that c-met is present in rat spermatogonia, pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids and that HGF significantly increases spermatogonial proliferation in 8- to 10-day-old pre-pubertal rats. At this age HGF does not affect Sertoli cells and peritubular myoid cells proliferation. In addition, we studied the effect of the factor on germ cell apoptosis and we show that HGF prevents the germ cell apoptotic process. We also studied the effect of HGF on 18- to 20-day-old and 28- to 30-day-old rat testes. At these ages also the factor significantly increases germ cell duplication and decreases the number of apoptotic cells. However, the effect on prog...Continue Reading

Citations

Feb 8, 2011·Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology : RB&E·Miriam Pérez-CrespoAlfonso Gutierrez-Adan
Aug 17, 2011·Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology·A CatizoneM Galdieri
Apr 29, 2014·Frontiers in Endocrinology·Giulia Ricci, Angela Catizone
Oct 21, 2016·Pharmacological Research : the Official Journal of the Italian Pharmacological Society·Antonio SugliaTeresa Chioccarelli
Jan 17, 2019·International Journal of Molecular Sciences·Erica LeonettiAngela Catizone
Feb 12, 2008·Journal of Cellular Physiology·A CatizoneM Galdieri
Nov 13, 2014·American Journal of Physiology. Endocrinology and Metabolism·M V T LoboA Martín-Hidalgo
Jun 14, 2018·Frontiers in Endocrinology·Marina MigliaccioGilda Cobellis

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