Objective and Methods: To examine the involvement of neurotrophic factor receptors in the testis with acute experimental testicular torsion, the expression of tyrosine kinase receptors (trk) A and B, and p75 nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) were studied in the rat testis with ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury, using Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Apoptosis was detected using the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) method. Results: There was a significant increase in TUNEL-positive reaction in spermatogonia in the seminiferous tubules in rat testes after testicular torsion. Western blot analysis showed that trk A expression reached a significant peak at 12 h after reperfusion (p < 0.01), as compared to sham-operated controls, whereas trk B was not increased in the testis after I/R. Constitutive expression of p75 NGFR was at or below the level detectable by Western blot analysis, and it remained unchanged in the testis after I/R. Immunohistochemistry demonstrated that after I/R trk A expression was increased in spermatocytes and spermatids in the seminiferous tubules, in contrast to the basal location of the TUNEL-positive reaction. Immunoreactivity of trk B was seen mainly in the interstitial cells in the sham-operated testis, and its localization was not changed after I/R. Conclusion: It is postulated that trk A and B, but not p75 NGFR, are involved differently in the survival of testicular cells during acute experimental testicular torsion. In particular, increased trk A seems to be related to germ cell survival following I/R.

ABSTRACT. To elucidate the roles of both constitutive endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) and neuronal NOS (nNOS), and inducible NOS (iNOS) in acute experimental testicular torsion, the expression of iNOS and constitutive eNOS and nNOS were studied in the rat testis with ischemia/reperfusion (I/R) injury. Western blot analysis showed that all three isoforms of NOS increased significantly at 24-48 hr after I/R and declined slightly thereafter. After I/R, immunoreactivity for both iNOS and nNOS was detected, mainly in the interstitial space around damaged tubules, while germ cells in the damaged tubules were immunostained intensely for eNOS. We postulate that increased expression of the three NOS isoforms in the testis after I/R, which might generate nitric oxide, affects delayed germ cell death following I/R via paracrine or autocrine fashion. KEY WORDS: ischemia/reperfusion, nitric oxide synthase, testis.J. Vet. Med. Sci. 67(4): 453-456, 2005 Testicular torsion has been implicated in testicular injury and infertility. The main pathology of testicular torsion is ischemia and reperfusion (I/R) injury of the testis, which is caused by the twisting and subsequent release of the spermatic cord [18]. The reperfusion is one of the most important factors in further injury [1]. In this animal model, several signal transduction molecules are expressed in the death/survival of the testicular cells following I/R. Several recent studies have reported on the expression of cell death molecules, including Bax, caspase 1, 2, and 3, Fas, Fas ligand, and nitric oxide (NO) [4,5,11] and survival molecules, including nerve growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor, and their receptors [8,9] and their possible roles in germ cell death and survival following I/R in the rat testis.Although several investigators have reported that NO, which has dual effects on cell survival and death, is involved in testicular disorders, including testicular torsion and inflammation [2,11,12,19], little is known about the functional roles and temporal profiles of the synthases, including the constitutive and inducible forms of NO synthase (NOS), in acute testicular I/R. Nevertheless, the critical roles of NO generated by the three NOS isoforms-inducible NOS (iNOS), endothelial NOS (eNOS), and neuronal NOS (nNOS)-in cell growth, differentiation, and death have been delineated. This study examined the expression and localization of the three NOS isoforms (iNOS, eNOS, and nNOS) to investigate the possible role of NOS in the pathogenesis of testicular I/R injury in acute experimental testicular torsion.Male adult Sprague Dawley rats (250-300 g) were anesthetized for surgery with sodium pentobarbital (50 mg/kg body weight, i.p.). All surgical procedures were performed as mentioned in our previous studies [7][8][9]. The left scrotum was incised, and the left spermatic cord was rotated 720° clockwise to minimize individual variation in blood flow. After 1.5 hr, the torsion (i.e., ischemia) was relieved (i.e., reperfusion), and the testis was returned t...

The maxillary palpi of the predaceous diving beetle Cybister /imbriolatus /imbriolatus Say were observed by transmission and scanning electron microscopy.Scanning electron microscopy shows at least two types of sensilla at the tip of palp, which are referred to as "circumvallate and naked sensilla". The former are innervated with outer segments of distal processes of sensory cells, but the latter are provided only with chitin and cuticular substances.Key.Words: Maxillary palpi --Circumvallate sensilla --Naked sensilla --Sensory cells --Cybister/imbriolatus (beetle).A large number of studies necessary for understanding insect sense organs have been made by electron microscopy (e.g.

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