Effect of Zinc Ions on Differentiation of Bone Mar

Authors: Mohammad GhasemzadehHasankolai Roozali Batavani Mohamadreza Baghaban Eslaminejad Mohammadali SedighiGilani

Publish Date: 2012/08/15

Volume: 150, Issue: 1-3, Pages: 137-146

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Abstract

This is the first report to describe the effects of zinc Zn ions on the expression of germ cell GC genes from bone marrowderived mesenchymal stem cells BMMSCs Zn plays an important role in germinal epithelium maintenance testosterone secretion differentiation of GCs and spermatogenesis In addition several studies have suggested that MSCs have the potential for differentiation into numerous cells types including male GCs In this study we have treated passage3 ram BMMSCs with 014 μg/ml Zn sulfate ZnSO4 for a period of 21 days with the intent to determine whether Zn treatment can stimulate MSCs to differentiate into male GCs in vitro We also sought to determine the type of changes seen in MSCs by Zn treatment Differentiation into male GCs was evaluated by the assessment of expressions of the following GCspecific markers VASA PIWIL2 OCT4 beta1 INTEGRIN ITG b1 DAZL by reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction RTPCR and quantitative RTPCR and PGP 95 by immunocytochemistry Also studied were morphological characteristics and changes in alkaline phosphatase activity Interestingly Zn upregulated the expressions of VASA and ITG b1 but downregulated PIWIL2 and OCT4 DAZL and PGP 95 were not expressed in the treatment group According to our results Zn ions did not stimulate BMMSCs to transdifferentiate into male GCs however it changed the expression of GC genes in BMMSCs It can be concluded that a possible mechanism by which Zn ions can increase male fertility is by regulation of the expression of testis GCspecific genes in the differentiation process and spermatogenesis

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