The development of newly daiagnotic tool and treatment for male infertility in terms of spermatogonial stem cell activity

2015 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25670686
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Urology
• Research Institution: Nagoya City University
• Principal Investigator: Hayashi Yutaro 名古屋市立大学, 医学(系)研究科(研究院), 准教授 (40238134)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): KOHRI Kenjiro 名古屋市立大学, 学長 (30122047) ; MIZUNO Kentaro 名古屋市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 講師 (70448710) ; KUROKAWA Satoshi 名古屋市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 研究員 (50468253) ; KAMISAWA Hideyuki 名古屋市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 研究員 (00551277) ; NISHIO Hidemori 名古屋市立大学, 大学院医学研究科, 助教 (10621063) ; KOJIMA Yoshiyuki 福島県立医科大学, 医学部, 教授 (60305539)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2016-03-31
• Keywords: 男性不妊症 / 精子幹細胞 / UTF1 / 停留精巣

Outline of Final Research Achievements

To elucidate the mechanism of male infertility, we focused on the function of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs). In this study, we investigated the expression and localization of stem cell marker "UTF1" (undifferentiated embryonic cell transcription factor 1) by using cryptorchid model rats and human testes. Our result showed that SSCs were divided into 2 types; actual and potential form, and we elucidated the attenuation of SSC activity in cryptorchid testes and the improvement of SSC activity by early orchiopexy. Moreover, to elucidate the reasons why cryptorchidism induce male infertility, we examined "adult" testes which were performed orchiopexy in childhood. And the result of our study showed that the past history of cryptorchidism induced the deterioration of SSCs activity and the enhancement of apoptosis of SSCs with miss-maturation of Sertoli cells.
Our study suggested the efficacy of newly SSC marker which might predict future fertility.

Free Research Field

小児先天異常疾患