Distribution of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) in the human testis and in testicular germ cell tumors

Abstract

Pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide (PACAP) is a neuropeptide expressed in the central nervous system and peripheral organs. Previous studies revealed the role and distribution of PACAP in the rodent testis, however, its presence in the human testis and in testicular germ cell tumors is not known. We used RT-PCR and immunohistological observations to investigate whether human testicular tissue and testicular germ cell tumors contain PACAP. The mRNAs for PACAP and its receptors were detected in total RNA extracted from human testes. PACAP immunoreactivity was observed in spermatogonia and spermatids from normal testes. In contrast, diffuse PACAP immunopositivity was observed in seminoma tumor cells, while only faint immunoreactivity was observed in embryonal carcinoma cells. Our data suggest that PACAP may play a role in human spermatogenesis and in testicular germ cell tumor development.

Examination of PACAP-Like Immunoreactivity in Urogenital Tumor Samples

“…We did not find significant differences between normal and tumoral tissue samples. In contrast with results of Nakamura et al (2014), we did not recognize significant alterations between seminoma and embryonal tumoral samples.…”

“…Our research group reported that PACAPdeficient mice have an abnormal sperm morphology and PACAP increases sperm motility in human spermatozoa indicating the important role of PACAP in sperm motility and fertilization (Brubel et al 2012). Recently, Nakamura et al (2014) have shown that the mRNA for PACAP and its receptors are expressed in human testis. They also described the localization of PACAP immunoreactivity in normal and tumoral testicular samples.…”

“…Recently, Nakamura et al (2014) detected PACAP and its receptors in human testis and in testicular germ cell tumors indicating an important role of PACAP in the tumor development.…”

PACAP and VIP signaling in chondrogenesis and osteogenesis

“…This protective effect is one of its most promising features for therapeutic use, even considering the short half-life in vivo [10,11]. In the last decade, increasing amount of evidence has emerged regarding the important roles of PACAP in peripheral organs such as uterus [12], ovary [13], testis [14], moreover its presence has been proved in human milk [15]. Nonetheless, only sporadic data exist about its function in skeletal elements [16][17][18].…”

Pituitary adenylate cyclase‐activating polypeptide in the testis of the quailCoturnix coturnix: Expression, localization, and phylogenetic analysis

“…PACAP and its receptors are widely expressed in the testis (Agnese et al, ; Agnese, Valiante, Rosati, Andreuccetti, & Prisco, ; Arimura et al, ; Rosati et al, , ). First evidence of the presence of PACAP in the testis has been reported in mammals, and, in particular, in rat spermatogonia, primary spermatocytes, and spermatids (Hannibal & Fahrenkrug, ; Shioda et al, ); further investigations confirmed the presence of PACAP in the human testis at the level of spermatogonia and round spermatid (Nakamura et al, ), as well as in mouse epididymal sperm acrosome (Tanii, Aradate, Matsuda, Komiya, & Fuse, ). No evidence of PACAP was reported in somatic cells, that is, Sertoli and Leydig cells (Arimura et al, ; Miyata et al, ; Shioda et al, ).…”