Related Experiment Video
Updated: Feb 14, 2026

Mechanism of Kemeng Fang's Inhibition of Podocyte Apoptosis in Rats with Membranous Nephropathy through the PI3K/AKT Signaling Pathway
Published on: August 23, 2024
B7-H3 promoted proliferation of mouse spermatogonial stem cells via the PI3K signaling pathway
Xuedong Wei1, Kai Li1,2, Guangbo Zhang3
1Department of Urology, First Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou, Jiangsu, People's Republic of China.
Objective:
We found seminal B7-H3 was associated with human sperm concentration. However, the mechanism is unclear. The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of B7-H3 in mouse testis and determine the effects of B7-H3 on the proliferation of mouse spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) and the underlying mechanisms.
Methods:
B7-H3 expression in the testis of mice at different ages (3 weeks, 8 weeks, 4 months and 9 months) was detected by western blot and immunohistochemistry. CCK-8 were used to measure mouse SSCs proliferation after incubation with different concentrations of B7-H3 for 1-72 h in vitro. Flow cytometry was used to analyze the cell cycle of mouse SSCs after incubation with different concentrations of B7-H3 for 48 and 72 h. The signaling pathways involved were assessed by western blot.
Results:
Four-month-old mice had the highest expression of B7-H3 in the testis, while 3-week-old mice had the lowest expression of B7-H3. B7-H3 was predominantly detected on the membrane and in the cytoplasm of Sertoli cells. Furthermore, B7-H3 promoted mouse SSCs proliferation and increased the percentage of cells in S+G2/M phase in a time- and dose-dependent manner in vitro. These effects were inhibited by LY294002, indicating the involvement of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase signaling pathway.
Conclusions:
The expression of B7-H3 in mouse testis, especially Sertoli cells, was associated with mouse age. In vitro, B7-H3 promoted the proliferation and accelerated the cell cycle of mouse SSCs via the PI3K pathway, indicating a critical role of B7-H3 expressed by Sertoli cells in mouse spermatogenesis.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
PI3K/mTOR/AKT Signaling Pathway
Notch Signaling Pathway
The Notch gene came into the limelight in 1914 after the discovery that its mutation in Drosophila melanogaster leads to a serrated (or "notched") wing margin phenotype. It was not...
Hedgehog Signaling Pathway
Interactions Between Signaling Pathways
Convergence and divergence, and cross-talk between signaling pathways
Two distinct signaling pathways can converge on a single functional unit, which may either be a single protein or a complex of proteins. The response is either functionally distinct or synergistic between the two pathways but different from the response...
Non-Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathways
Canonical Wnt Signaling Pathway

