Transplantation of alginate-encapsulated seminiferous tubules and interstitial tissue into adult rats: Leydig stem cell differentiation in vivo?

MOLECULAR AND CELLULAR ENDOCRINOLOGY

卷:436

Article

Chen, Haolin^1,2  Jin, Shiying²  Huang, Shengsong^2,3  Folmer, Janet²  Liu, June²  Ge, Renshan¹  Zirkin, Barry R.² 

[1] Wenzhou Med Univ, Affiliated Hosp 2, Ctr Sci Res, Wenzhou 325027, Zhejiang, Peoples R China

[2] Johns Hopkins Bloomberg Sch Publ Hlth, Dept Biochem & Mol Biol, 615 North Wolfe St, Baltimore, MD 21205 USA

[3] Tongji Univ, Tongji Hosp, Sch Med, Dept Urol, Shanghai 200065, Peoples R China

关键词: Stem cells;    Leydig cells;    Alginate;    Transplantation;    Testosterone;   

DOI  :  10.1016/j.mce.2016.08.046

来源: Elsevier

【 摘 要 】

In vivo and in vitro studies were conducted to determine whether testosterone-producing Leydig cells are able to develop from cells associated with rat seminiferous tubules, interstitium, or both. Adult rat seminiferous tubules and interstitium were isolated, encapsulated separately in alginate, and implanted subcutaneously into castrated rats. With implanted tubules, serum testosterone increased through two months. Tubules removed from the implanted rats and incubated with LH produced testosterone, and cells on the tubule surfaces expressed steroidogenic enzymes. With implanted interstitial tissue, serum levels of testosterone remained undetectable. However, co-culture of interstitium plus tubules in vitro resulted in the formation of Leydig cells by both compartments. These results indicate that seminiferous tubules contain both cellular and paracrine factors necessary for the differentiation of Leydig cells, and that the interstitial compartment contains precursor cells capable of forming testosterone-producing Leydig cells but requires stimulation by paracrine factors from the seminiferous tubules to do so. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

【 授权许可】

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