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RESEARCH ARTICLE

Effects of castration on androgen receptors and gonadotropins in the pituitary of adult male viscachas

Verónica Filippa A B , Daiana Godoy A , Edith Perez A and Fabian Mohamed A C
+ Author Affiliations
- Author Affiliations

A Laboratorio de Histología, Facultad de Química, Bioquímica y Farmacia, Universidad Nacional de San Luis, Av. Ejército de los Andes 950- Bloque I, 1° Piso (5700) San Luis, Argentina.

B Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), San Luis, Argentina.

C Corresponding author. Email: fhmo@unsl.edu.ar

Reproduction, Fertility and Development 26(7) 991-1000 https://doi.org/10.1071/RD13126
Submitted: 24 April 2013  Accepted: 26 June 2013   Published: 2 August 2013

Abstract

The aims of the present study were to determine whether castration results in quantitative immunohistochemical changes in androgen receptors (AR), LH-immunoreactive (IR) cells and FSH-IR cells, and to analyse the colocalisation of AR and gonadotropins in the pituitary pars distalis (PD) of viscachas. Pituitaries were processed for light and electron microscopy. AR-IR, LH-IR and FSH-IR cells were detected by immunohistochemistry. In morphometric studies, the percentage of AR-IR, LH-IR, FSH-IR, LH-IR/AR-IR and FSH-IR/AR-IR cells was determined. In intact viscachas, AR were distributed throughout the PD; they were numerous at the caudal end, with intense immunostaining. LH-IR cells and FSH-IR cells were found mainly in the ventral region and at the rostral end of the PD. Approximately 45%–66% of LH-IR cells and 49%–57% of FSH-IR cells expressed AR in the different zones of the PD. In castrated viscachas, there was a significant decrease in the percentage of AR-IR, LH-IR, FSH-IR, and FSH-IR/AR-IR cells. Some pituitary cells from castrated viscachas also exhibited ultrastructural changes. These results provide morphological evidence that gonadal androgens are directly related to the immunolabelling of AR, LH and FSH. Moreover, the colocalisation of AR and FSH is most affected by castration, suggesting the existence of a subpopulation of gonadotrophs with different regulatory mechanisms for hormonal synthesis, storage and secretion.

Additional keyword: immunocytochemistry.


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