E-CIGARETTE

INTRODUCTION

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Vaping, or e-cigarette usage, has grown drastically in popularity over the past decade, particularly among teenagers and young adults. The impact of vaping on spermatogenesis has not been established. The primary aim of our study was to assess the effects of e-cigarette vapor exposure on semen parameters, patterns of testicular apoptosis, and meiotic function in mice.
METHODS: Outbred CD-1 mice were divided into five cohorts: 5-week experimental, 10-week experimental, 5-week control, 10-week control, and wild-type. Experimental groups were subjected to 200 puffs of e-cigarette vapor over 100 minutes 5 times per week for 5 and 10 weeks. Control groups underwent the same protocol but with 100% glycerol as the aerosolized vapor. Wild type mice were not exposed to either protocol. After completing the protocol, the mice were sacrificed and testes/epididymides were harvested. Epididymal sperm concentration was calculated, TUNEL assay was performed on testicular sections, and meiotic spreads were performed on testicular tissue. The expression and localization of MLH1, RPA, MEIOB, SYCP1, and H2AX were assessed using immunohistochemical staining with >50 cells analyzed per mouse.
RESULTS: Epididymal sperm concentration was decreased in both control and experimental groups when compared to wild-type ( Figure 1). There were higher numbers of apoptotic cells per seminiferous tubule in the control and experimental groups compared to wild-type ( Figure 2). Fewer MLH1 foci per cell and increased autosomal H2AX localization were seen in experimental and control groups compared to wild-type, indicating abnormal DNA repair.
CONCLUSIONS: Exposure to both aerosolized e-cigarette fluid and 100% glycerol negatively impacted spermatogenesis in mice, possibly via abnormal apoptotic pathways or DNA repair mechanisms.
Source of Funding: Funding was provided internally by the UPMC Department of Urology.

MP01-14 THE LOSS OF HISTONE READER PHF7 LEADS TO IMMUNE PATHWAYS ACTIVATION VIA ENDOGENOUS RETROVIRUSES DURING SPERMIOGENESIS
Jianxing Cheng*, Haocheng Lin, Hui Jiang, Beijing, China, People's Republic of INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Genetic studies have elucidated critical roles of the Phf7 in germline development in animals, but whether PHF7 is an actual disease gene in human infertility remains unknown. To investigate the role of PHF7 on infertility in humans and explore its mechanism.
METHODS: The blood and testicular samples from azoospermia patients were collected and used for genome sequencing western blot and immunohistology. The Phf7 knockout mice model were established and used for animal study. RT-PCR, Immunohistology, and western blotting were used for phenotypic identification. Transcriptome of testicular haploid cells of Phf7 knockout mice were analyzed, and the differentially expressed ERV was further used for coverage analysis; Quantitative PCR and Western blot were performed to verification. Mouse germ cell lines GC-1 and GC-2 with ERV target knockouts were constructed for experiment in vitro. The chromatin accessibility and epigenetic changes of mouse testicular cells after Phf7 deletion were analyzed by ATAC-seq and ChIP-seq data. Targeted drugs for PPARa to treat Phf7 knockout mice.
RESULTS: We report a germline mutation of human PHF7 in azoospermic patients and our findings to demonstrate that PHF7 is a Vol. 209, No. 4S, Supplement, Friday, April 28, 2023 THE JOURNAL OF UROLOGY Ò e7 MP01-01-MP09-20 9 March 2023 Published Online Date: