Immunohistochemical Localization of Ghrelin in Goat Testicular Tissue

The aim of the present study was to investigate the immunohistochemical localization of ghrelin in testicular tissues of male goat. Ghrelin, a 28-amino acid acylated peptide, has been identified as an endogenous ligand for GH secretagogue receptor and the role of ghrelin in reproduction has been recently established. The immunohistochemical localization of ghrelin in male goat testicular tissues was performed using mouse monoclonal anti-ghrelin antibody as primary antibody and donkey anti-rabbit IgG (HRP) Polyclonal antibody as secondary antibody. Samples of testis were collected from three male goats (1.5 to 2-years old), and were kept in 10% Formalin for IHC test. Then paraffin blocks and histological sections were prepared. Immunoreactions were observed in spermatogenesis process, Leydig and sertoli cells. It is believed that the site of ghrelin expression in stages of spermatogenesis, Leydig and sertoli cells may indicate its role in local regulations. This is one of the first studies to provide molecular evidence for the presence of ghrelin within the entire testicular tissues of male goat.