RNA extraction and leptin receptor mRNA detection in bull ejaculated spermatozoa

Leptin, known as a potential satiety factor, plays an important role in both metabolismand reproduction. the presence of leptin in human seminal plasma and human spermatozoahas been shown; recently, leptin receptors (ob-r) have been localized in human spermatozoa,thus suggesting a possible action of this hormone even on these cells. ouraim was to detect leptinreceptor mrna in bull ejaculated spermatozoa by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chainreaction (rt-per). total rna was isolated from bull ejaculated spermatozoa and purified bydifferent methods.ourresults have revealed thatsodium dodecyl sulphate (sds) and sds/citricacid extraction methods are superior to guanidinium isothiocyanate in terms of yield andreproducibility of rna recovery. the mrna for ob-rb was detected in all samples examined.we conclude that ob-r mrna is present in bull spermatozoa where seminal plasma leptin canexert its effects.