Endocrine roles of D-aspartic acid in the testis of lizard Podarcis s. sicula

In the lizard Podarcis s. sicula, a substantial amount of D-aspartate (D-Asp) is endogenous to the testis and shows cyclic changes of activity connected with sex hormone profiles during the annual reproductive phases. Testicular D-Asp content shows a direct correlation with testosterone titres and a reverse correlation with 17β-estradiol titres. In vivo experiments, consisting of i.p. injections of 2.0 μmol/g body weight of D-Asp or other amino acids, in lizards collected during the three main phases- of the reproductive cycle (pre-reproductive, reproductive and post-reproductive period), revealed that the testis can specifically take up and accumulate D-Asp alone. Moreover, this amino acid influences the synthesis of testosterone and 17β-estradiol in all phases of the cycle. This phenomenon is particularly evident during the pre- and post-reproductive period, when endogenous testosterone levels observed in both testis and plasma were the lowest and 17β-estradiol concentrations were the highest. D-Asp rapidly induces a fall in 17β-estradiol and a rise in testosterone at 3 h post-injection in the testis and at 6 h post-injection in the blood. In vitro experiments show that testicular tissue converted L-Asp into D-Asp through an aspartate racemase. D-Asp synthesis was measured in all phases of the cycle, but was significantly higher during the reproductive period with a peak at pH 6.0. The exogenous D-Asp also induces a significant increase in the mitotic activity of the testis at 3 h (P<0.05) and at 6 h (P<0.01). Induction of spermatogenesis by D-Asp is recognized by an intense immunoreactivity of the germinal epithelium (spermatogonia and spermatids) for proliferation cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). The effects of D-Asp on the testis appear to be specific since they were not seen in lizards injected with other D- or L-forms of amino acids with known excitatory effects on neurosecretion. Our results suggest a regulatory role for D-Asp in the steroidogenesis and spermatogenesis of the testis of the lizard Podarcis s. sicula. © 2005 Society for Endocrinology.