The Evaluation of Testes Extracts on Spermatogonial Stem Cell's Self-Renewal Property Compared to Their Specific Growth Factors

Spermatogonial stem cells are regarded as the continual generator of sperms in males. They possess the potential to regenerate themselves، provided by the niche، which is necessary for substituting the old sperms with the new ones and their population’s maintenance. There are demanding efforts conducted often on spermatogonial stem cells، and some special growth factors with the capability of reestablishment of this niche under experimental circumstances، but there have been few studies on poultries in this respect.

In the present study، the impact of adult mice and roosters testes extracts on colony-formation potential of chicken spermatogonial stem cells in the course of four days، as compared to those of three conventional growth factors (LIF، bFGF and GDNF) was investigated. After determination of the optimum concentrations of growth factors، OCT4 gene expression was measured as one of spermatogonial stem cell activities’ signature via Real-time RT-PCR technique during two weeks treatment.

The results of colony forming activity show that in vitro treatment by the mice and roosters testes extracts and the three mentioned growth factors (GDNF،bFGF and LIF) had a considerably discrepancies in terms of the number of created colonies compared to the control group (without adding any factor) after four days. Moreover، the OCT4 over-expressed extremely by these biological impulses after two weeks.

The results indicated that the testes extract would be a valuable substitute for non-economical industrial growth factors.