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The Influence of Kisspeptin-10 on Expression of Androgen and Kisspeptin Receptors in Rat Testes After Stress Exposure

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Introduction. The mammalian reproductive system is a complex neuroendocrine mechanism in which the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis plays a leading role. Stress suppresses the functioning of the kisspeptin system. Dysfunction of any component of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis can lead to sexual dysfunction, infertility, and other endocrine disorders. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of kisspeptin-10 on androgen and kisspeptin receptor expression in rat testes following exposure to traumatic stress. Material and Methods. The study was conducted on adult male Wistar rats. Restraint stress was induced by immobilizing the animals in individual restrainers for 6 hours daily over a period of 5 days. Vital stress was induced by a single exposure of the animal to a Burmese python. Nine days after the stress exposure, the animals began receiving either kisspeptin-10 (Research Institute of Highly Pure Biopreparations, Russia) intraperitoneally at a dose of 1 mg/kg or physiological saline (0.5 ml) for 5 days. Following the experiment, the testes were harvested to determine androgen and kisspeptin receptor levels using ELISA (Cloud-Clone, China). Androgen receptor (AR) gene expression in the testes was analyzed via RT-PCR. Differences between groups were analyzed using the Kruskal-Wallis test and Dunn’s multiple comparison test in GraphPad Prism v. 6.01 software. Results. In response to restraint stress, kisspeptin receptor levels in the rat testes increased. Furthermore, in response to the aforementioned stress-or, AR gene expression in the testes increased, although the level of its protein product did not. Administration of kisspeptin-10 to the rats reversed these effects of restraint stress and, additionally, reduced the content of androgen receptors in the testes under conditions of severe stress. Conclusions. The data indicate a compensatory response in rat testes to psychotraumatic stress: an increase in the expression of kisspeptin and androgen receptors, followed by the normalization of their levels upon kisspeptin-10 administration. The latter can be interpreted as the operation of a negative feedback mechanism within the receptor system, coinciding with the restoration of hormonal stimulation and the return of testicular function-al status to physiological levels.

Source: Problems of Biological Medical and Pharmaceutical Chemistry

DOI: 10.29296/25877313-2026-10-15