Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

CSD mRNA expression in rat testis and the effect of taurine on testosterone secretion

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Amino Acids Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In the present study, the cysteine sulfinate decarboxylase (CSD) mRNA expression was detected in rat testis by RT-PCR. The results showed that CSD mRNA was expressed in rat testis, and the putative encoded-amino acid sequence was exactly the same as that in rat liver which was already known. At the same time, the effects of taurine on testosterone secretion were investigated both in vivo and in vitro. In vivo, taurine were administered to male rats by tap water. The results showed that taurine obviously stimulated the secretion of FSH, LH and testosterone in serum, but showed no significant effect on the secretion of estradiol. Taurine administered in water could significantly increase the concentration of taurine in the blood and testis of rats. In vitro, cultured Leydig cells were treated with taurine independently or incubated with human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) and progesterone. The results showed that taurine had biphasic effects on basal testosterone secretion in cultured Leydig cells. Low concentrations of taurine (0.1–100 μg/ml) could stimulate testosterone secretion, whereas high concentration of taurine (400 μg/ml) could inhibit testosterone secretion. Testosterone secretion stimulated by HCG was significantly increased by 10 and 100 μg/ml of taurine administration, and obviously decreased by treating with 400 μg/ml of taurine. Testosterone secretion induced by progesterone was significantly stimulated by treating with 1.0 and 10 μg/ml of taurine, however, it was significantly inhibited when treated with 400 μg/ml of taurine. Meanwhile, the effect of silencing CSD mRNA by siRNA on testosterone secretion was analyzed. The results showed that testosterone secretion was obviously decreased after the inhibition of CSD mRNA expression in cultured Leydig cells. These results indicated that taurine can be synthesized in rat testis by CSD pathway, and it plays important roles in testosterone secretion both in vivo and in vitro which need to be further investigated.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Alvarez JG, Storey BT (1983) Taurine, hypotaurine, epinephrine and albumin inhibit lipid peroxidation in rabbit spermatozoa and protect against loss of motility. Biol Reprod 29:548–555

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bligh J (1981) Amino acids as central synaptic transmitters or modulators in the mammalian thermoregulation. Fed Proc 40:2746–2749

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Boatman DE, Bavister DB, Cruz E (1990) Addition of hypotaurine can reactivate immotile golden hamster spermatozoa. J Androl 11:66–72

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dou JT, Li M (1999) The response of leydig cells isolated by Percoll to the stimulation of human chronic gonadotropin. Acad J PLA Postgrad Med Sch 20(3):217–219

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser LR (1986) Both taurine and albumin support mouse sperm motility and fertilizing ability in vitro but there is no obligatory requirement for taurine. J Reprod Fertil 77(1):271–280

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Holmes RP, Goodman HO, Shihabi ZK, Jarrow JP (1992) The taurine and hypotaurine content of human semen. J Androl 13:289–292

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hope Db (1955) Yridoxal phosphate as the coenzyme of the mammalian decarboxylase for l-cysteine sulphinic and l-cysteic acids. Biochem J 59:497–500

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hu JM, Ikemura R, Chang KT, Suzuki M, Nishihara M, Takahashi M (2000) Expression of cysteine sulfinate decarboxylase mRNA in rat mammary gland. J Vet Med Sci 62(8):829–834

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Huxtable RJ, Bressler R (1973) Effects of taurine on a muscle intracellular membrane. Biochim Biophys Acta 323:573–583

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Isabelle R, Alain S, Marcel T (1996) Molecular cloning and sequence analysis of the cDNA encoding rat liver cysteine sulfinate decarboxylase (CSD). Biochim Biophys Acta 1307:152–156

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuriyama K, Muramatsu M, Nakagawa K, Kakita K (1978) Modulating role of taurine on release of neurotransmitters and calcium transport in excitable tissue. In: Barbeau A, Huxtable RJ (eds) Taurine and neurological disorders. Raven Press, New York, pp 201–216

    Google Scholar 

  • Lasserre P, Gilles R (1971) Modification of the amino acid pool in the parietal muscle of two euryhaline teleosts during osmotic adjustment. Experientia 27:1437–1445

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Li JH, Ling YQ, Fan JJ, Zhang XP, Cui S (2006) Expression of cysteine sulfinate decarboxylase (CSD) in male reproductive organs of mice. Histochem Cell Biol 125:607–613

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Llanos MN, Ronco AM (1994) Sperm phospholipid methyltransferase activity during preparation for exocytosis. Cell Biochem Funct 12:289–296

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lobo MVT, Alonso FJM, and Rafael Martin del Rio (2000) Immunohistochemical localization of taurine in the male reproductive organs of the rat. J Histochem Cytochem, 48:313–320

  • Magnusson KR (1994) Changes in the localization of taurine-like immunoreactivity during development and regeneration in the rat brain. In: Huxtable R, Michalk DV (eds) Taurine in health and disease. Plenum Press, New York, pp 235–243

    Google Scholar 

  • Meizel S (1985) Molecules that initiate or help stimulate the acrosome reaction by their interaction with the mammalian sperm surface. Am J Anat 174:285–302

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mrsny RJ, Meizel S (1985) Inhibition of hamster sperm Na+, K+-ATPase activity by taurine and hypotaurine. Life Sci 36:271–275

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Oertel WH, Schmechel DE, Weise VK, Ransom DH, Tappaz ML, Krutzsch HC, Kopin IJ (1981) Comparison of cysteine sulphinic acid decarboxylase isoenzymes and glutamic acid decarboxylase in rat liver and brain. Neuroscience 6:2701–2714

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Park E, Park SY, Wang C, Xu J, LaFauci G, Schuller-Levis G (2002) Cloning of murine cysteine sulfinic acid decarboxylase and its mRNA expression in murine tissues. Biochim Biophys Acta 1574(3):403–406

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Pasantes-Morales H, Lopez-colome AM, Salceda R, Mandel P (1976) Cysteine sulphinate decarboxylase in chick and rat retina during development. J Neurochem 27:1103–1106

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Read WO, Welty JD (1963) Effects of taurine on epinephrine and digoxin-irregularities of dog heart. J Pharmacol Exp Ther 139:283–289

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tiedemann F, Gmelin L (1827) (1827) Einige neue bestandtheile der galle des ochsen. Physic Chem 9:326–337

    Google Scholar 

  • Timbrell JA, Seabra V, Waterfield CJ (1995) The in vivo and in vivo protective properties of taurine. General Pharmacol 26:453–462

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Velazquez A, Delgado NM, Rosado A (1986) Taurine content and amino acid composition of human acrosome. Life Sci 38:991–995

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Vessey DA (1978) The biochemical basis for the conjugation of bile acids with either glycine or taurine. Biochem J 174:621–626

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Yang JC, Feng Y, Sun CM, Hu JM (2007) Effect of taurine on the secretion of reproduction hormone of male rat. J Anhui Agri Sci 35(11):3283–3284

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No. 30371048) and the Doctor Initial Foundation of Liaoning Province (Grant No. 20081065).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. College of Animal Science and Veterinary Medicine, Shenyang Agricultural University, Shenyang, China

    Jiancheng Yang, Gaofeng Wu, Ying Feng, Shumei Lin & Jianmin Hu

  2. College of Animal Science, China Agricultural University, Beijing, China

    Changmian Sun

Authors
  1. Jiancheng Yang
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Gaofeng Wu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ying Feng
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Changmian Sun
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Shumei Lin
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Jianmin Hu
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Jianmin Hu.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Yang, J., Wu, G., Feng, Y. et al. CSD mRNA expression in rat testis and the effect of taurine on testosterone secretion. Amino Acids 39, 155–160 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-009-0388-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00726-009-0388-7

Keywords

Search

Navigation