Sexual maturation in Growth hormone receptor deficiency chicken.

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Growth hormone (GH) plays a various role in controlling cell proliferation and development, nutrient metabolism, protein synthesis and reproduction as well as normal growth. GH actions are exerted after binding to GH receptor (GHR) localized in target tissues. Sex-linked dwarf (SLD) chicken lacking functional GHR is good experimental model for study of GH actions. We investigated effect of GHR deficiency on sexual maturation in chicken. Testicular GHR mRNA was expressed at 5-12 weeks old in male. Testicular GHR mRNA expression was high until 12 weeks old, but which was not detected in 16-weeks old and matured males. Maturation of seminiferous tubule in male was delayed in SLD chicken. Present results suggested that GH was directly or indirectly affected to sexual maturation. Especially, negative correlation with GHR mRNA expression and area of testicular tuble was suggested that GH strongly effect on testicular development, before spermatogenesis.