The effect of 9-cis-retinoic acid on proliferation and differentiation of a spermatogonia and retinoid receptor gene expression in the vitamin A-deficient mouse testis.

Retinoid X receptors (RXRs) are key regulators in retinoid signaling. Knowledge about the effects of 9-cis-retinoic acid (9-cis-RA), the natural ligand for the RXRs, may also provide insight in the functions of RXRs. In this study, the effect of 9-cis-RA on spermatogenesis in vitamin A-deficient (VAD) mice was examined. Administration of 9-cis-RA stimulated the differentiation and subsequent proliferation of the growth-arrested A spermatogonia in the testis of VAD mice. However, compared with all-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA), relatively higher doses of 9-cis-RA were necessary. This could not simply be due to a lower or delayed activity of 9-cis-RA, as simultaneous administration of ATRA and 9-cis-RA did not cause a synergistic effect. Instead, the presence of 9-cis-RA diminished the effect of ATRA by approximately one third. Studies of in vivo transport and metabolism showed that ATRA and 9-cis-RA, after administration to VAD mice, penetrated the testis equally well. However, 9-cis-RA was metabolized much faster than ATRA, and other metabolites were formed. This may account for the above-described differential effects of ATRA and 9-cis-RA on spermatogenesis. Similar to ATRA, 9-cis-RA transiently induced the messenger RNA expression of the nuclear RA receptor RAR beta, suggesting a role for this receptor in the effects of retinoids on the differentiation and proliferation of A spermatogonia. In contrast, the messenger RNA expression of the nuclear retinoid receptors RXR alpha, -beta, and -gamma was not changed significantly by administration of their ligand, 9-cis-RA. Hence, 9-cis-RA does not seem to exert its effect on spermatogenesis through altered expression of the RXRs.