水通道蛋白(AQP),也被称为水道,在维持男性生殖潜力方面似乎特别有希望。因此,本研究旨在确定牛(Bostaurus)生殖系统中经典AQPs的存在,并使用免疫组织化学和Western印迹分析其表达随年龄的变化.在六个经典的AQP中,检测AQP0、AQP1、AQP4、AQP5和AQP6,而AQP2缺失。在睾丸里,AQP0在选定动物的Leydig细胞中可见,而在成熟个体的生精小管周围的肌样细胞中发现了AQP1。AQP0的这种特征性表达模式,仅限于某些公牛,很难明确解释.牛中的AQP0表达可能会受到个体变异性或响应于特定生理条件的变化。在附睾和附睾中,AQP0在未成熟动物的上皮细胞中表达较弱,在生殖公牛的基底和主细胞中表达较强。在所有的动物中,AQP1存在于附睾首段上皮细胞的顶端表面。在整个生殖公牛附睾的主要和基底细胞中鉴定了AQP4,AQP5和AQP6。随着动物的生长发育,AQP4和AQP6的丰度从附睾到附睾尾增加。在所有男性中,在输精管上皮细胞中观察到AQP4,AQP5和AQP6,他们在这一部分的表达随着年龄的增长而增加。总之,在男性生殖系统的各种细胞类型和部分中,经典AQP的丰度和分布表明它们在维持水稳态中的关键作用,这对牛的正常生殖功能至关重要。
Aquaporins (AQPs), also known as water channels, appear to be particularly promising in maintaining male reproductive potential. Therefore, this study aimed to determine the presence of classical AQPs in the bovine (Bos taurus) reproductive system and analyze changes in their expression with age using immunohistochemistry and Western blotting. Of the six classical AQPs, AQP0, AQP1, AQP4, AQP5 and AQP6 were detected, while AQP2 was absent. In the testis, AQP0 was visible in Leydig cells in selected animals, while AQP1 was found in myoid cells surrounding the seminiferous tubules of mature individuals. This characteristic expression patterns of AQP0, limited only to certain bulls, is difficult to explain unequivocally. It is possible that AQP0 expression in cattle is subject to individual variability or changes in response to specific physiological conditions. In the caput and corpus epididymis, AQP0 showed weak expression in epithelial cells of immature animals and stronger expression in basal and principal cells of reproductive bulls. In all animals, AQP1 was present on the apical surface of epithelial cells in the initial segment of the caput epididymis. AQP4, AQP5 and AQP6 were identified in principal and basal cells along the entire epididymis of reproductive bulls. The abundance of AQP4 and AQP6 increased from the caput to the cauda epididymis with the growth and development of the animals. In all males, AQP4, AQP5 and AQP6 were observed in epithelial cells of the vas deferens, and their expression in this section increased with age. In conclusion, the abundance and distribution of the classical AQPs in various cell types and parts of the male reproductive system indicate their crucial role in maintaining water homeostasis, which is essential for normal reproductive function in cattle.