Down-Regulation of Lipocalin 2 Expression in Mouse Testis after Exposure to Electromagnetic Field

• Main Authors: Amaneh Mohammadi Roushandeh, Raheleh Halabian, Parisa Mozafari, Jafar Soleimani Rad, Behnaz Sadeghzadeh Oskouei, Ali Samadi Kuchaksaraei, Mehryar Habibi Roudkenar
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Shiraz University of Medical Sciences 2009-12-01
• Series: Iranian Journal of Medical Sciences
• Subjects: Electromagnetic fields; testis; fertility; Lcn2; reactive oxygen species
• Online Access: http://ijms.sums.ac.ir/files/PDFfiles/06-Dr_%20Habibi%20Roudkenar.pdf

Background: The effects of electromagnetic field (EMF) onreproductive system have been of critical concern for a longtime. It has been shown that the EMF can adversely affect testicularcells and tissue and decrease male fertility. The mostimportant determinants of male fertility are sperm developmentand motility, which are affected by changes in several factorsincluding lipocalin 2 proteins. In the present study, we investigatedthe effects of exposure to EMF on testis tissue and expressionof lipocalin 2 gene.Methods: Male BALB/c mice (8 weeks old) were exposed to 3mT EMF for 8 weeks, 4 hours/day. Control group (10 mice)did not receive EMF exposure. After the experimental period,the mice were sacrificed, and their testis tissues were examinedby using light microscopy after hematoxylin-eosin staining.Additionally, total RNA and proteins were extracted from testistissue and used to study the lipocalin 2 expression by realtime RT-PCR and Western blot analysis.Results: The histological changes observed in the testes of experimentalgroup included increased number of spermatocytesand Leydig cells, and increased thickness of basement membranecompared with the control group. The mRNA and proteinstudies showed that expression of lipocalin 2 gene wasdown regulated in testes of the mice exposed to EMF.Conclusion: Our study showed that EMF down regulates theexpression of lipocalin 2, a cytoprotective molecule, in testis tissue.This down regulation can be one of the mechanisms that contributeto the decreased fertility observed after exposure to EMF