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Cryptorchidism induced in normal rats by the relaxin-like factor inhibitor
- Source :
- Reproduction (Cambridge, England). 135(3)
- Publication Year :
- 2008
-
Abstract
- Cryptorchidism is a serious problem, which affects 2–5% of the male population. Failure of the testes to descend into the scrotal region impairs germ cell development and is associated with a greater incidence of testicular cancer. The relaxin-like factor (RLF or insulin-like-3) has been shown to be critically important for the timely descent of the testicles in mice. We have discovered that the signal initiation site of the RLF can be eliminated without measurable effects on hormone binding to its receptor and that the resulting RLF derivative is a competitive inhibitor of RLF called RLFi. RLFi administered to pregnant rats causes dose-dependent gonadal retention in the offspring. The ability to control the severity of the syndrome by altering the concentration of RLFi and the timing of administration enables us to study in detail the structural changes that are associated with the action of RLF during critical stages of development. Targeted inhibition of the physiological migration pattern of testicles by RLFi lets one dissect the physiological process such as to find a window for clinical application of RLF and to search for ancillary factors that might play a role during normal development.
- Subjects :
- Male
Embryology
medicine.medical_specialty
Offspring
Molecular Sequence Data
Gestational Age
Biology
RELAXIN-LIKE FACTOR
Andrology
Fetal Development
Rats, Sprague-Dawley
Endocrinology
Pregnancy
Internal medicine
Cryptorchidism
Testis
medicine
Male population
Animals
Insulin
Receptor
Testicular cancer
Base Sequence
Dose-Response Relationship, Drug
Obstetrics and Gynecology
Proteins
Cell Biology
medicine.disease
Peptide Fragments
Rats
medicine.anatomical_structure
Reproductive Medicine
Models, Animal
Female
Competitive inhibitor
Germ cell
Gene Deletion
Hormone
Protein Binding
Signal Transduction
Subjects
Details
- ISSN :
- 17417899
- Volume :
- 135
- Issue :
- 3
- Database :
- OpenAIRE
- Journal :
- Reproduction (Cambridge, England)
- Accession number :
- edsair.doi.dedup.....578948a23770dd1c5ac17363ce4bc2f4