Publications by authors named "Souaad Smai"
Article Synopsis
- The study focuses on the seasonal reproductive changes in the gerbil (Gerbillus gerbillus), particularly in male anatomy and behavior during breeding and resting seasons.
- During the breeding season, the testes are active with abundant sperm, and there is high expression of the G-protein-coupled oestrogen receptor 1 (GPER1) in several cell types, indicating intense spermatogenesis.
- In contrast, the resting season sees a significant reduction in testicular weight, halting of sperm production, and a changed expression pattern of GPER1, suggesting its key role in regulating these seasonal reproductive cycles.
Article Synopsis
- The study investigates the roles of androgens and estrogens in the epididymis of fat sand rats, focusing on the distribution of their receptors, particularly in the less-explored cauda region.
- Immunochemistry was used to analyze receptor presence during breeding and resting seasons, revealing distinct patterns of androgen (AR) and estrogen receptors (ESR1, ESR2) in principal and basal cells.
- Results indicate that sex steroid receptor activity varies seasonally and between different segments of the epididymis, suggesting a regulatory role for androgens and estrogens in reproductive functions.
Estrogen plays a crucial role in regulating epididymal function and development. Estrogen signaling is mediated via two main receptors essentially involved in the genomic regulating pathway: ERα and ERβ. Recent studies revealed the contribution of a novel estrogen receptor involved in the non-genomic pathway: GPER1.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAn increasing number of studies revealed the importance of estrogen in male reproduction. However, most research was conducted in laboratory rodents subjected to standardized environmental conditions. Therefore, seasonal regulations of estrogen pathways remain poorly understood under natural conditions.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe fat sand rat (Psammomys obesus) is a model to study seasonal reproductive cycle changes and several metabolic disorders. In order to show a possible involvement of estrogens in the male reproductive functions, the expression of estrogen receptors (ESR1 and ESR2) and androgen receptor (AR) were investigated in the caput epididymidis of fat sand rats during the breeding season, resting season, after castration, after castration followed by testosterone treatment, and after ligation of efferent ducts. In the breeding season, principal cells presented a strong immunostaining of AR in both nuclei and cytoplasm, a strong staining of ESR1, mainly in the apical zone, and a strong immunoexpression of ESR2, mainly in nuclei.
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