OR25-3 Sperm-carried IGF2 Downregulates Mitogens Released by Sertoli Cells: A Paracrine Mechanism of Spermatogenetic Regulation?

The presence of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF2) mRNA has been demonstrated in human and mouse spermatozoa. However, the expression of the IGF2 protein in spermatozoa and its function is not known. To accomplish this, we searched for IGF2 protein in spermatozoa of four healthy Caucasian men by Western blot (WB) and immunofluorescence (IM). Semen samples were collected by masturbation into a sterile container after 3-4 days of sexual abstinence. The spermatozoa were separated from leucocytes and epithelial cells by swim-up. The WB demonstrated the presence of the IGF2 protein in each sample examined. IM showed that IGF2 is a cytoplasmic protein with a variable degree of expression in each spermatozoon and localized in the equatorial and post-acrosomal segments. To evaluate the effects of IGF2, porcine Sertoli cells (SCs) were isolated from neonatal Large White pigs (7-15 days) using established methods. SCs were incubated with increasing concentrations (0.33, 3.33, and 10 ng/mL) of recombinant human IGF2 (rhIGF2) for 48 hours. At the end of incubation, the following endpoints were evaluated: a) expression of the GDNF, FGF2, and SCF genes, known to be mitogens that promote gonocyte proliferation and differentiation towards their spermatogonial fate, by real-time PCR (RT-PCR); b) gene (RT-PCR) and protein (WB and IM) expression of the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor (FSHR); and c) proliferation of SCs by flow cytometry. Subsequently, the effects of IGF2 were re-evaluated by pre-treating SCs with NVP-AEW541, a not competitive inhibitor of the insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF1R), known to be activated by IGF2. For this purpose, the NVP-AEW541 was added to the culture medium at a concentration of 1 µg/mL one hour before the IGF2 and was left for the entire duration of the incubation. The results of this study showed that IGF2 significantly downregulates GDNF gene expression in a concentration-dependent manner (-40.3% at 0.33 ng/mL, -48.2% at 3.33 ng/mL, -55.5%, respectively, p<0.01). Gene expression of FGF2 and SCF was significantly downregulated only by IGF2 at the highest concentration used (-23.6% and -39.1%, respectively, p<0.01). Similarly, IGF2 incubation downregulated FSHR mRNA (-27.1% at 0.33 ng/mL, -45.4.2% at 3.33 ng/mL, -21.1%, respectively, p<0.01) and protein (for both WB and IM) expression. Finally, SC proliferation significantly decreased after incubation with IGF2 (2.82±0.1% in untreated controls, -1.87±0.1% at 0.33 ng/mL, -2.19±0.2% at 3.33 ng/mL, and -2.36±0.1% at 10 ng/mL; p<0.01). In the presence of NVP-AEW541, all these effects were counteracted, thus suggesting that they are mediated by the IGF1R. In conclusion, these results suggest the presence of a paracrine regulatory mechanism between germ cells and SCs by which the former can influence the proliferation of SCs, their sensitivity to FSH, and their function by reducing the secretion of germ cell mitogens. Presentation: Monday, June 13, 2022 11:30 a.m. - 11:45 a.m.