Molecular and structural changes related to hepatitis E virus antigen and its expression in testis inducing apoptosis in Mongolian gerbil model

Summary Hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection has been associated with a wide range of extrahepatic manifestations, so this study was designed to examine the effect and role of HEV on structural and molecular changes in the testicular tissues of Mongolian gerbils experimentally infected with swine HEV. HEV RNA was first detected in testis at 14 days post‐inoculation and reached a peak between 28 and 42 days later with viral load between 3.12 and 6.23 logs/g by PCR assays. Changes including vacuolation, sloughing of germ cells, formation of multinuclear giant cells, degeneration, necrosis of tubules and damaged blood‐testis barrier were observed through transmission electron microscopy. HEV ORF2 antigen was detected in the sperm cell cytoplasm along with decrease in relative protein of zonula occludens‐1 through immunohistochemistry. HEV ORF3 antigen and ZO‐1 protein were detectable by Western blotting. Lower (P