Original title: One more drop for decreasing reproduction
Authors: Dvořáková-Hortová, K. ; Šídlová, A. ; Děd, Lukáš ; Hladovcová, D. ; Vieweg, M. ; Weidner, W. ; Steger, K. ; Stopka, P. ; Paradowska-Dogan, A.
Document type: Papers
Conference/Event: XXth Symposium of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction with international participation, Třešť (CZ), 2014-05-22 / 2014-05-24
Year: 2014
Language: eng
Abstract: Toxoplasma gondii is a common protozoan parasite that infects warm-blooded animals throughout the world, including mice and humans. During infection, both, the parasite and the host, utilize various mechanisms to maximize their own reproductive success. Mice and humans are both the intermediate hosts for Toxoplasma gondii, which forms specialized vacuoles containing reproductive cysts in the formers’ tissue. As half of the human population is infected, developing a disease called toxoplasmosis, along with an ever-growing number of couples suffering with idiopathic infertility, it is therefore surprising that there is a lack of research on how T.gondii can alter reproductive parameters. In this study, a detailed histometric screening of the testicular function along with the levels of the pituitary luteinizing hormone (LH) were analysed in infected mice. Data on relative testis and epididymis weight, and sperm count were also collected. Based on the results obtained, the level of LH in the urine of Toxoplasma gondii infected mice was lower compared to the control. In direct correlation with the hormone level, testicular function and sperm production was also significantly lower in T. gondii positive group using sperm count and histometric analysis as a marker. Not only were the number of leptotene primary spermatocytes and spermatids lowered, but the number of Sertoli cells and the tubule diameter were elevated. In parallel, a pilot epigenetic study on global testicular methylation, and specific methylation of Crem, Creb1 and Hspa1genes essential for successfully ongoing spermatogenesis was performed. Global methylation was elevated in Toxoplasma infected mice, and differences in the DNA methylation of selected genes were detected between the Toxoplasma positive and control group. These findings demonstrate a direct relation between T. gondii infection and the decrease of male reproductive fitness in mice, which may contribute to an increase of infertility in humans.
Keywords: luteinizing hormone; methylation; spermatocytes; Toxoplasma gondii
Project no.: 14-055547S
Funding provider: GA ČR
Host item entry: Book of abstracts XXth Symposium of Biology and Immunology of Reproduction with international participation

Institution: Institute of Biotechnology AS ČR (web)
Document availability information: Fulltext is available at the institute of the Academy of Sciences.
Original record: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0236240

Permalink: http://www.nusl.cz/ntk/nusl-175195


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