CAPRINE TESTICULAR HYPOPLASIA ASSOCIATED WITH SEXUAL REVERSION DECREASES THE EXPRESSION OF INSULIN-LIKE-GROWTH-FACTOR II (IGF-II) MESSENGER-RNA IN TESTES

The genetic expression of insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) mRNA was studied in healthy adult testes and in hypoplastic testes of polle d Murciano-Granadina goats by means of in situ hybridization. A positi ve reaction in spermatogonia, pachytene spermatocytes and a few peritu bular myoid cells was observed using the ovine antisense oligonucleoti de in healthy testes. The hypoplastic testes displayed a loss of germi nal epithelium and a slight thickening of the basement membranes. A li mited number of immature germinal cells displayed a lesser hybridizati on reaction, while the expression of IGF-II mRNA observed in the perit ubular myoid cells was similar to that seen in healthy testes. In hypo plastic testes, IGF-II mRNA expression within germinal cells decreased with increasing hypoplasia within the seminiferous epithelium and the re was no hybridization within the tubules in cases of severely disrup ted spermatogenesis. These results suggest that testicular hypoplasia is associated with changes in the expression of IGF-II mRNA. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.