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Heat shock in cryptorchid testes elevates heat shock factor (HSF) expression, leading to germ cell apoptosis, while increased heat shock proteins (HSPs) levels provide protection. To investigate how heat shock affects elephant spermatogenic cells, focusing on heat shock-related molecules and the cell death mechanism, immunohistochemistry and TUNEL staining were employed to assess the immunoexpression of several heat shock-related molecules and the status of apoptosis in elephant fibroblasts (EF) induced by heat shock stimulus. Additionally, the immunoexpression of heat shock-related molecules and cell proliferation status in the elephant spermatogenic cells. Our finding indicated that heat shock-induced HSF1 immunoexpression in EF leads to apoptosis mediated by T-cell death-associated gene 51 (TDAG51) while also upregulating HSP70 to protect damaged cells. In elephant spermatogenic cells, immunostaining revealed a predominance of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)-positive cells with minimal TDAG51- and TUNEL-positive cells, suggesting active proliferation and apoptosis suppression during normal spermatogenesis in the abdominal testis. Interestingly, spermatogonia co-immunoexpressed HSF1 and HSP90, potentially reducing apoptosis through protective mechanisms different from those observed in other mammals. Spermatogenic cells did not show immunolocalisation of HSP70, and hence, it may not contribute to protecting the spermatogonia from heat shock because the transcriptional activity of HSF1 is suppressed by HSP90A binding. This study provides insight into the specific heat shock response and defence mechanisms in elephant spermatogenic cells and may contribute to our understanding of species-specific adaptation to environmental stresses of the testis.<\/jats:p>","DOI":"10.3390\/ani14152211","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,30]],"date-time":"2024-07-30T15:25:23Z","timestamp":1722353123000},"page":"2211","update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3390\/mdpi_crossmark_policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":2,"title":["Heat Shock Related Protein Expression in Abdominal Testes of Asian Elephant (Elephas maximus)"],"prefix":"10.3390","volume":"14","author":[{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0003-1683-8505","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Yoko","family":"Sato","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Biology, School of Biological Sciences, Tokai University, Sapporo 0058601, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-0225-5854","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Theerawat","family":"Tharasanit","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"},{"name":"Veterinary Clinical Stem Cells and Bioengineering Research Unit, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0001-9319-5596","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Chatchote","family":"Thitaram","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Elephant and Wildlife Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chaleamchat","family":"Somgird","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Center of Elephant and Wildlife Health, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Chiang Mai University, Chiang Mai 50100, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Sittidet","family":"Mahasawangkul","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"The Royal Initiated Thai Elephant Conservation Center, Lampang 52190, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Nikorn","family":"Thongtip","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kasetsart University, Nakhon Pathom 73140, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9470-8426","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Kaywalee","family":"Chatdarong","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"ORCID":"https:\/\/orcid.org\/0000-0002-9862-2187","authenticated-orcid":false,"given":"Narong","family":"Tiptanavattana","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Faculty of Veterinary Science, Prince of Songkla University, Songkhla 90110, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Masayasu","family":"Taniguchi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Animal Reproduction, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi 7538515, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Takeshige","family":"Otoi","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bio-Innovation Research Center, Tokushima University, Tokushima 7793233, Japan"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Mongkol","family":"Techakumphu","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Reproduction, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok 10330, Thailand"}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1968","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2024,7,30]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref_1","unstructured":"Zorgniotti, A.W. 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