Estrogens and Spermiogenesis: New Insights from Type 1 Cannabinoid Receptor Knockout Mice

Table 1

Reproductive phenotype of 𝐶𝑛𝑟1^−/− male mice and related references.

Hypothalamus-pituitary-testis axis
(i) Normal pituitary LH content [120]
(ii) Low serum LH concentration [120]
(iii) Low testicular testosterone secretion [120]
(iv) Low circulating testosterone and E2 levels [120, 121]
(v) High pituitary GnRH-R and low FSH𝛽 subunit mRNA levels [121]
(vi) Low testicular Fsh-R mRNA levels [121]
(vii) Low testicular P450 mRNA levels [121]
(viii) Low P450arom levels in Leydig cells [121]
(ix) Low Tnp2 levels (both mRNA and protein) [85]
Adult Leydig cell
(i) Low number of adult Leydig cells [122]
(ii) Normal 3-𝛽Hsd mRNA levels/Leydig cell [121]
Sperm chromatin quality
(i) High number of SPZ with retained histones [85, 121, 123]
(ii) High number of SPZ with uncondensed chromatin [85, 123]
(iii) High number of SPZ with DNA damage [85, 123]
(iv) SPZ with high % of damaged DNA [85]
(v) Increase of DNA damage during epididymal transit from caput to cauda [85]
(vi) High mean values of sperm nuclear length [123]
Epididymal sperm motility acquisition
(i) High number of potentially motile SPZ in caput [4]
(ii) Precocious sperm motility acquisition in caput epididymis [4]