Rescue of fertility in homozygous mice for the urokinase plasminogen activator transgene by the transplantation of mouse hepatocytes

NM Brezillon, L Dasilva, D L'hôte… - Cell …, 2008 - journals.sagepub.com
NM Brezillon, L Dasilva, D L'hôte, F Bernex, J Piquet, N Binart, S Morosan, D Kremsdorf
Cell Transplantation, 2008journals.sagepub.com
Development of the urokinase plasminogen activator/SCID (uPA/SCID) transgenic mouse
model has opened new perspectives for the study of different biological mechanisms such
as liver regeneration, stem cell differentiation, and human hepatic pathogens. We observed
that homozygous uPA/SCID mice (uPA+/+/SCID) had a small offspring, indicating a fertility
defect. The goal of this study was thus to rescue the fertility of homozygous uPA mice. A
deregulation of ovarian function with an absence of corpus luteum was observed in female …
Development of the urokinase plasminogen activator/SCID (uPA/SCID) transgenic mouse model has opened new perspectives for the study of different biological mechanisms such as liver regeneration, stem cell differentiation, and human hepatic pathogens. We observed that homozygous uPA/SCID mice (uPA+/+/SCID) had a small offspring, indicating a fertility defect. The goal of this study was thus to rescue the fertility of homozygous uPA mice. A deregulation of ovarian function with an absence of corpus luteum was observed in female uPA+/+/SCID mice. In male uPA+/+/SCID mice, a decrease of the weight of the testes, epididymis, seminal vesicle, and prostate was measured. This was associated with an absence of seminal and prostatic secretions and a reduction in testicular sperm production. We hypothesized that the infertility of mice was the consequence of uPA-induced liver injury. Thus, in order to rescue liver function, hepatocytes from mice negative for the uPA transgene were transplanted into uPA+/+/SCID mice. Thirty days after cell transplantation, the livers of transplanted uPA+/+/SCID mice were totally repopulated and presented a normal morphology. Furthermore, transplantation restored normal body weight, life span, and reproductive organ function. In conclusion, we demonstrated that the transplantation of uPA+/+/SCID mice with healthy hepatocytes was sufficient to rescue the reproductive capacity of female and male uPA homozygous animals, highlighting the importance of normal liver function to reproductive capability.
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