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C/EBP-β/MeCP2/Wnt Axis Participates in the Testicular Injury in Rats Under Simulated Microgravity Conditions
Pan Ge1,2,3,4, Si-Yu Wang5, Xiang Zhang6
1Department of Pathology, School of Basic Medical Sciences, Health Science Center, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, Shaanxi, China.
Background And Objective:
As space exploration advances, the effects of the microgravity environment on testicular injury and spermatogenic function in astronauts have attracted widespread attention, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear.
Methods:
In this study, testicular morphometry and Johnsen score were used to evaluate the degree of testicular injury. Then the upstream transcription factors of MeCP2 were verified using the dual-luciferase reporter assay. Finally, the expression of C/EBP-β, MeCP2, and Wnt4/β-Catenin protein was detected to clarify the regulatory pathway.
Results:
Under microgravity conditions, MeCP2 expression was significantly reduced in rat testes and was positively correlated with testicular morphometric indices. Subsequently, the dual-luciferase reporter assay revealed that C/EBP-β directly bound to the promoter sequence of MeCP2, initiating its transcriptional activity. Meanwhile, the expression of C/EBP-β, Wnt4, and β-Catenin was reduced in the testes under microgravity conditions.
Conclusions:
In conclusion, our study proposed that C/EBP-β regulated MeCP2, consequently, inhibited the Wnt4/β-Catenin pathway activity, thereby participating in microgravity-induced testicular injury.
