Effect of continuous low-dose gamma-irradiation on rat Sertoli cell function

Germ cell-Sertoli cell interactions and production of testosterone by purified Leydig cells from mature rat

The addition of seminiferous tubule (ST) culture medium (STM) prepared from testes of either busulfan-treated (Bus) or cryptorchid (Cryp) or genetically sterile (hd) rats, to Percoll purified Leydig cells leads to a further increase of LH-stimulated testosterone (T) output (26, 43 and 14%, respectively). Taking into account that the Sertoli cell number per cm of ST is 2.6, 1.8 and 1.4-fold greater in Bus, Cryp and hd rats than in controls, the above STM effects on T output, expressed per 10(6) Sertoli cells are in fact lower (63, 44 and 43%, respectively) that those of control STM. Similar results have been obtained for the STM transferrin levels which are decreased, 74, 67 and 45%, respectively in Bus, Cryp and hd animals. So, it is likely that the Sertoli cell secretion of both the paracrine factor involved on Leydig cell T production and the transferrin is influenced mainly by spermatids and to a lesser extent by spermatocytes of mature rat testis.

Pachytene spermatocytes regulate the secretion of Sertoli cell protein(s) which stimulate Leydig cell steroidogenesis

The influence of germ cells (pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids) on the secretion by Sertoli cells of the proteinaceous factor(s) which stimulates Leydig cell steroid biosynthesis was investigated. Sertoli cells from immature rats were cultured on plastic dishes or on Millipore filters impregnated with reconstituted basement membrane in bicameral chambers. Immature rat Sertoli cell secreted proteins (rSCSP; MW greater than 10,000), from conventional cultures, stimulated 4- to 5-fold steroid biosynthesis in normal rat and MA-10 mouse tumor Leydig cells, respectively. MA-10 cells were then used as a bioassay system for most studies, although purified rat Leydig cells were used in some cases to further confirm results obtained with MA-10 cells. rSCSP collected from both the apical and basal compartment of the chambers were examined for their ability to stimulate Leydig cell steroidogenesis. The Leydig cell stimulatory activity from Sertoli cells was found to be secreted in a polarized manner, with 80% of the total bioactivity found in the basal rSCSP. Addition of pachytene spermatocyte proteins (PSP) in the apical compartment of the chambers inhibited, in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, the basally directed Sertoli cell secretion of the Leydig cell stimulatory protein(s) by 85%. Similar results were obtained when freshly isolated pachytene spermatocytes were directly added on top of Sertoli cell epithelial sheets in the apical compartment of the chambers. In contrast, round spermatid proteins (RSP) did not exhibit a comparable effect to that of PSP in regulating the Sertoli cell secretion of the Leydig cell stimulatory activity. These results demonstrate that the Sertoli cell secreted protein(s) which stimulates Leydig cell steroid biosynthesis is secreted in a basally polarized direction, and its secretion is specifically modulated by pachytene spermatocytes.