CORRELATIONS BETWEEN CD68 RECEPTOR EXPRESSION AND ACTIVITY OF MACROPHAGE POLARIZATION MARKER ENZYMES IN RAT TESTES DURING PROLONGED BLOCKADE OF LUTEINIZING HORMONE SYNTHESIS BY TRIPTORELIN
Authors: Stetsuk Y.V. , Akimov O.Y. , Vilhova O.V. , Yelins’ka A.M. , Mischenko A.V. , Skotarenko T.A. 
Published: January 2022

Luteinizing hormone and testosterone have a significant effect on the polarization of macrophages. Changing the polarization of macrophages can cause morphological and metabolic changes in various organs and tissues. The CD68 receptor is associated with proinflammatory polarization of macrophages. Currently, the scientific literature provides limited data on the relationship between the expression of the CD68 receptor on testicular macrophages and the activity of markers of macrophage polarization enzymes during long-term deprivation of luteinizing hormone synthesis. The aim of this study was to establish correlations between the number of CD68+ cells in the interstitial space and testicular vessels and the activity of inducible NO synthase, arginase and superoxide anion radical production after 270 and 365 days of central blockade of luteinizing hormone synthesis by triptorelin. Materials and methods. The study was performed on 15 adult male Wistar rats. Animals were randomly divided into 2 groups: control (5 animals) and experimental (10 animals). Animals of the experimental group were injected with a solution of triptorelin acetate at the rate of 0.3 mg of active substance per kg of animal weight to model the central derivation of luteinizing hormone synthesis. Animals from the experimental group were removed from the experiment on days 270 and 365 of the simulation of central derivation of luteinizing hormone synthesis. Histological examination of the testes was performed after preparation of paraffin sections. To perform immunohistochemical study of testicular macrophages for the presence of CD68 receptors we performed, after the manufacture of paraffin blocks, deparaffinization of sections was with subsequent unmasking of antigens. Inducible NO synthase activity, arginase and superoxide anion radical production were determined in 10% of testicular homogenates. Quantitative distribution of the CD68 receptor in the interstitium and testicular blood vessels was also determined. After determining the distribution of the studied parameters, a correlation analysis was performed by the Spearman method and the correlation of the ranks of the studied parameters and its statistical significance were determined. Results. The production of superoxide anion radical is directly proportionally strongly correlated with the expression of CD68 on interstitial and vascular macrophages. There were no statistically significant correlations between the prevalence of CD68 receptor in the interstitium and vascular vessels and the activity of inducible NO synthase and arginase on day 270 of central deprivation of luteinizing hormone synthesis by triptorelin. The production of superoxide anion radical, inducible NO synthase and arginase activity, and the prevalence of the CD68 receptor in the interstitium and blood vessels of testes on day 365 of central deprivation of luteinizing hormone synthesis do not have statistically significant correlations. Conclusions. Expression of the CD68 receptor on interstitial and parietal testicular macrophages leads to hyperproduction of superoxide anion radical on day 270 of central deprivation of luteinizing hormone synthesis by triptorelin. The prevalence of CD68 on day 360 of central deprivation of luteinizing hormone synthesis by triptorelin does not affect the activity of macrophage polarization marker enzymes.