objective(s) this investigation was conducted to evaluate the effects of diabetes on the structure and function of testicular tissue. materials and methods diabetes was induced in male adult rats by a single intraperitoneal injection of streptozotocin. body and testicular weight, hormonal analyses, histological and ultrastructural analyses were measured. results the body and testicular weights ...

FSH and IGF-I are both important determinants of testicular development and Sertoli cell function. The present studies were performed to determine the actions of FSH and IGF-I on PI3K/AKT protein kinase signaling in immature rat Sertoli cells. Primary cultures of rat Sertoli cells were prepared from 10-d-old rats. After 7 d in culture, Sertoli cells were treated with IGF-I, FSH, or IGF-I plus F...

Cell Type Specificity of Rhox Gene Expression in Testes To identify the cell types in the testis that express the Rhox genes, we purified testicular cell fractions enriched for Sertoli and interstitial (e.g., Leydig) cells. Although it is not possible to generate entirely pure populations of these cell types, our fractions were substantially enriched, based on the relative levels of Sertoli and...

BACKGROUND In the testis, thyroid hormone (T3) regulates the number of gametes produced through its action on Sertoli cell proliferation. However, the role of T3 in the regulation of steroidogenesis is still controversial. METHODS The TRαAMI knock-in allele allows the generation of transgenic mice expressing a dominant-negative TRα1 (thyroid receptor α1) isoform restricted to specific target ...

Cooperative actions of FSH and androgens on initiation, maintenance, and restoration of spermatogenesis have been described. In the present experiments the regulatory effects of FSH on androgen receptor (AR) gene expression in Sertoli cells were studied. In immature rats injection of FSH (1 microgram/g BW, ip) resulted in a rapid down-regulation of testicular AR mRNA expression (4 h), followed ...

BACKGROUND Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS) is a rare autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by multiple gastrointestinal hamartomatous polyps, mucocutaneous pigmentation and increased predisposition to various neoplasms. Endocrine manifestations in PJS include gynecomastia due to calcified Sertoli cell testicular tumors usually referred to as large-cell calcifying Sertoli cell tumors (LSCT). ...

The isoforms of the highly conserved and ubiquitously expressed 14-3-3 family of proteins function primarily as adapters that modulate interactions between components of various cellular signaling and cell cycle regulatory pathways. Low levels of 14-3-3 isoforms appear to be expressed in most tissues, but specific isoforms or combinations have been shown to be overexpressed in a cell-specific m...

More than half of differentiating spermatogenic cells undergo apoptosis before maturing into spermatozoa during mammalian spermatogenesis. These cells are selectively and rapidly eliminated through phagocytosis by Sertoli cells, a testicular somatic cell type possessing phagocytic activity. We have investigated the mechanism by which Sertoli cells specifically recognize and phagocytose apoptoti...

Cells isolated from testes of 20-day-old rats, maintained in primary culture in a defined medium, are shown to respond to follicle-stimulating hormone or 3:5-cyclic AMP with characteristic morphological changes. No response is observed in cells treated with luteinizing hormone or 5-?AMP. The cells form a mono-layer, and have been identified as presumptive Sertoli cells structurally by identific...

Polyclonal antisera raised against polypeptide components of antigenically related rat Sertoli cell secretory protein S70 and S45-S35 heterodimeric protein were used to identify antigenic sites in rat testis during spermatogenesis. Immunofluorescence, immunoperoxidase and immunogold electron-microscopic methods have shown that all antisera recognize immunoreactive sites in the acrosome of devel...