Localization of plasminogen activator and inhibitor, LH and androgen receptors and inhibin subunits in monkey epididymis.

Epididymis is a site of sperm maturation and storage. Limited and directed-proteolysis regulated by plasminogen activator (PA), plasminogen activator inhibitor type-1 (PAI-1) and other related factors may play an essential role in these processes. Our previous studies have demonstrated that rat epididymis expressed luteinizing hormone receptor (LHR), tissue type (t) and urokinase type (u)PA, mRNAs, and tPA activity was stimulated in vitro by human chorionic gonoadotrophin (HCG). In the present study we further examined localization of mRNAs for tPA, uPA, LHR, androgen receptor (AR), as well as inhibin subunits alpha, betaA and betaB in rhesus monkey epididymis. Using in-situ hybridization with digoxygenin-labelled cRNA probes, we have demonstrated that tPA and PAI-1 mRNAs were localized in epithelial cells of adult monkey epididymis. uPA mRNA was localized in the same areas, but to a much smaller extent. tPA, uPA and PAI-1 mRNAs were greatly expressed in the caput and corpus of adult epididymis than in other regions. In-vitro experiments showed that both tPA and uPA activities in epididymal cells were dramatically stimulated by HCG, but not by follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). LHR (but not FSH receptor) and AR mRNAs were localized in the epithelial cells of the epididymis. However, LHR mRNA was detected in both adult and immature infant monkeys, whereas AR was found only in the adult. Inhibin alpha, betaA and betaB mRNAs were also detected in this organ, betaA mRNA being more strongly expressed in the caput than in other regions of the epididymis. We suggest that LH and androgen may be the key hormones in coordination with the PA-PAI-1 system in regulating epididymal differentiation and sperm maturation.