Deferasirox, an Iron-Chelating Agent, Improves Testicular Morphometric and Sperm Functional Parameters in a Rat Model of Varicocele

Figure 5

Impacts of DFX chelation on Bip/HspA5/Grp78 transcript and UPR/IRE-1-mediated apoptosis in varicocelized testis: (a) relative accumulation of Bip mRNA; (b1) relative accumulation of s-xbp1 mRNA; (b2) detection of uns-Xbp1 (178 bp band) and s-Xbp1 (119 bp band) mRNA by RT-PCR (2.5% agarose gels); (c1) p-JNK protein content evaluated by western blot (c2); (d) relative mRNA accumulation of mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis markers (Bax, Bak), proapoptosis mediator (Bim), and antiapoptosis mediator (Bcl-2); (e, f) relative mRNA accumulation of caspase-3 and p53 as mediators of programmed cell death. The relative accumulation of mRNA and proteins was normalized to the GAPDH transcript and β-actin antibody, respectively. Data are presented as . and , significant difference between study groups: VCL (varicocele), VCL-DFX (varicocelized rats under DFX treatment), and control groups.

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