期刊
ENDOCRINOLOGY
卷 153, 期 10, 页码 5002-5010出版社
ENDOCRINE SOC
DOI: 10.1210/en.2012-1417
关键词
-
资金
- National Institutes of Health [R37 AG21092, R01 HD050570, R01 AG030598, R03 AG026721]
Leydig cells, the testosterone-producing cells of the adult testis, rarely turn over. However, their elimination with ethane dimethanesulfonate (EDS) is followed by the appearance of new, fully functional adult Leydig cells. The cells that give rise to the new Leydig cells have not been well characterized, and little is known about the mechanism by which they are regulated. We isolated cells expressing platelet-derived growth factor receptor-alpha, but not 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3 beta-HSDneg) from the testes of EDS-treated adult rats. Depending on conditions, these cells proliferated indefinitely or differentiated and produced testosterone. To localize these cells and to determine the effect of the testicular environment on their function, the seminiferous tubules and testicular interstitium were physically separated and cultured. During the first 72 h in culture, 3 beta-HSDneg cells on the tubule surfaces underwent divisions. Some of these cells later expressed 3 beta-HSD and produced testosterone. Removal of the newly formed 3 beta-HSDpos cells from the tubule surfaces with EDS, followed by further culture of the stripped tubules, resulted in the reappearance of testosterone-producing cells. These results, taken together, suggest that the precursors for newly formed Leydig cells are stem cells, with many if not all situated on the surfaces of the seminiferous tubules. Although normally quiescent, the stem cells are capable of self-renewal and differentiation. The development of the tubule culture system should provide a valuable in vitro approach to assess the role(s) of niche components on the function of adult Leydig stem cells despite their residing in a complex mammalian tissue. (Endocrinology 153: 5002-5010, 2012)
作者
我是这篇论文的作者
点击您的名字以认领此论文并将其添加到您的个人资料中。
推荐
暂无数据