help button home button Endocrine Society Endocrinology
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
This Article
Right arrow Full Text
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Right arrow Citation Map
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow Request Copyright Permission
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by Schultz, R.
Right arrow Articles by Pelto-Huikko, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by Schultz, R.
Right arrow Articles by Pelto-Huikko, M.
Endocrinology Vol. 144, No. 3 767-776
Copyright © 2003 by The Endocrine Society

ARTICLE

Expression of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor and Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Nuclear Translocator Messenger Ribonucleic Acids and Proteins in Rat and Human Testis

Rüdiger Schultz, Janne Suominen, Tanja Värre, Harri Hakovirta, Martti Parvinen, Jorma Toppari and Markku Pelto-Huikko

Department of Developmental Biology, Tampere University (R.S., T.V., M.P.-H.), FIN-33014 Tampere, Finland; Departments of Dermatology (R.S.) and Pathology (M.P.-H.), Tampere University Hospital, FIN-33520 Tampere, Finland; Department of Pediatrics and Physiology, Turku University Hospital (J.S., H.H., J.T.), and Department of Anatomy, University of Turku (M.P.), FIN-20520 Turku, Finland

Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Markku Pelto-Huikko, M.D., Ph.D., Department of Developmental Biology, Tampere University Medical School, FIN-33014 Tampere, Finland. E-mail: blmapel{at}uta.fi.

Dioxins, e.g. 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), use the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AHR)/aryl hydrocarbon receptor nuclear translocator (ARNT) receptor complex to mediate their toxic actions. In addition to interaction with environmental pollutants, several transcription factors, steroid receptors, and growth factors are capable interacting with the AHR/ARNT complex, which suggests a constitutive role for the receptor complex.

The testis has been reported to be among the most sensitive organs to TCDD exposure. Our experiments revealed a complex distribution of AHR and ARNT mRNAs and proteins in rat and human testis. AHR and ARNT immunoreactivities could be detected in the nuclei of interstitial and tubular cells. The incubation of seminiferous tubules in a serum-free culture medium resulted in up-regulation of AHR mRNA, which could be depressed by adding FSH to the culture medium. Furthermore, the incubation of tubular segments with a solution of 1 or 100 nM TCDD resulted in a 2- to 3-fold increase in apoptotic cells. Thus, up-regulation of AHR in cultured tubular segments and consecutive depression by FSH suggest a role for AHR in controlled cell death during spermatogenesis. We suggest that AHR and ARNT mediate effects by direct action on testicular cells in the rat and human testis.




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 Mol. Cell. Biol.Home page
A. Ehrlund, E. H. Anthonisen, N. Gustafsson, N. Venteclef, K. Robertson Remen, A. E. Damdimopoulos, A. Galeeva, M. Pelto-Huikko, E. Lalli, K. R. Steffensen, et al.
E3 Ubiquitin Ligase RNF31 Cooperates with DAX-1 in Transcriptional Repression of Steroidogenesis
Mol. Cell. Biol., April 15, 2009; 29(8): 2230 - 2242.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
S.M. Coutts, N. Fulton, and R.A. Anderson
Environmental toxicant-induced germ cell apoptosis in the human fetal testis
Hum. Reprod., November 1, 2007; 22(11): 2912 - 2918.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Biol. Reprod.Home page
U. A. Bussmann and J. L. Baranao
Regulation of Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Expression in Rat Granulosa Cells
Biol Reprod, September 1, 2006; 75(3): 360 - 369.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 EndocrinologyHome page
S. L. Petersen, S. Krishnan, and E. D. Hudgens
The Aryl Hydrocarbon Receptor Pathway and Sexual Differentiation of Neuroendocrine Functions
Endocrinology, June 1, 2006; 147(6): s33 - s42.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Toxicol SciHome page
S. A. Myllymaki, T. E. Haavisto, L. J. S. Brokken, M. Viluksela, J. Toppari, and J. Paranko
In Utero and Lactational Exposure to TCDD; Steroidogenic Outcomes Differ in Male and Female Rat Pups
Toxicol. Sci., December 1, 2005; 88(2): 534 - 544.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 Hum ReprodHome page
T. Tiido, A. Rignell-Hydbom, B. Jonsson, Y. L. Giwercman, L. Rylander, L. Hagmar, and A. Giwercman
Exposure to persistent organochlorine pollutants associates with human sperm Y:X chromosome ratio
Hum. Reprod., July 1, 2005; 20(7): 1903 - 1909.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 GlycobiologyHome page
L. Huopaniemi, M. Kolmer, J. Niittymaki, M. Pelto-Huikko, and R. Renkonen
Inflammation-induced transcriptional regulation of Golgi transporters required for the synthesis of sulfo sLex glycan epitopes
Glycobiology, December 1, 2004; 14(12): 1285 - 1294.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 J. Biol. Chem.Home page
A. Jimenez, W. Zu, V. Y. Rawe, M. Pelto-Huikko, C. J. Flickinger, P. Sutovsky, J.-A. Gustafsson, R. Oko, and A. Miranda-Vizuete
Spermatocyte/Spermatid-specific Thioredoxin-3, a Novel Golgi Apparatus-associated Thioredoxin, Is a Specific Marker of Aberrant Spermatogenesis
J. Biol. Chem., August 13, 2004; 279(33): 34971 - 34982.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Endocrinology Endocrine Reviews J. Clin. End. & Metab.
Molecular Endocrinology Recent Prog. Horm. Res. All Endocrine Journals
Copyright © 2003 by The Endocrine Society