OBJECTIVE: To examine the expression of the @entity2467 receptor and its ligand, @entity6826 , and their possible relation with apoptosis in infertile @entity1 . DESIGN: Prospective laboratory study. SETTING: Urology laboratory in a university hospital. @entity1 (S): @entity1 undergoing testicular biopsy during an investigation of subfertility. INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Expression of the @entity2467 receptor protein, @entity6826 , and apoptosis in the testes. RESULT(S): The @entity2467 receptor was strongly present in Leydig cells and type A spermatogonia of normal testes, with decreased staining in Leydig cells and type A spermatogonia of testes with maturational arrest, and staining in only Leydig cells of Sertoli cell-only specimens. @entity6826 was demonstrated in Leydig cells and Sertoli cells in all specimens. Western blotting demonstrated the 150-kd @entity2467 protein in the normal testes and the testes with maturational arrest, but not in the testes with the Sertoli cell-only pattern. @entity6826 was expressed in all specimens, with a protein size of 45 kd. Increased apoptosis was demonstrated in type A spermatogonia and spermatocytes of tissue with maturational arrest compared with normal testicular tissue. CONCLUSION(S): @entity2467 receptor expression is decreased in subfertile testicular tissue compared with normal testicular tissue. @entity6826 expression is present in Leydig cells and Sertoli cells. Increased apoptosis is seen in tissue with maturational arrest compared with normal tissue.

Decreased expression of the XXXX receptor is associated with increased apoptosis in subfertile @entity1 testes.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['Men', 'PATIENT', 'men'] @entity6826 :: ('4254', 'Gene') :: ['Stem cell factor', 'stem cell factor'] @entity2467 :: ('3815', 'Gene') :: ['c-kit', 'C-kit']
@entity2467 :: (3815,Gene) :: ['c-kit']
