Early responses of testicular interstitial cells to stimulation by interstitial-cell-stimulating hormone

1972 ◽  
Vol 134 (2) ◽  
pp. 239-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
Agustin Aoki ◽  
Eddy M. Massa
Keyword(s):  
Interstitial Cell ◽  
Interstitial Cells ◽  
Testicular Interstitial Cells ◽  
Stimulating Hormone

scholarly journals THE NORMAL FINE STRUCTURE OF OPOSSUM TESTICULAR INTERSTITIAL CELLS

1961 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 653-670 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kent Christensen ◽  
Don W. Fawcett
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Interstitial Cell ◽  
Physiological State ◽  
Interstitial Cells ◽  
Small Cells ◽  
Pancreatic Acinar Cells ◽  
Interstitial Tissue ◽  
Biochemical Evidence ◽  
Testicular Interstitial Cells ◽  
Irregular Cell

The interstitial tissue of the opossum testis includes interstitial or Leydig cells, macrophages, and small cells which morphologically resemble mesenchymal cells. The latter are thought to give rise to mature interstitial cells. The most prominent feature of the interstitial cell cytoplasm is an exceedingly abundant agranular endoplasmic reticulum. This reticulum is generally in the form of a meshwork of interconnected tubules about 300 to 450 A in diameter, but occasionally it assumes the form of flattened, fenestrated cisternae resembling those of pancreatic acinar cells, except for the lack of ribonucleoprotein particles on the surface of the membranes. The interstitial cells vary considerably in their cytoplasmic density. The majority are quite light, but some appear extremely dense, and in addition usually have a more irregular cell surface, with numerous small pseudopodia. These differences may well reflect variations in physiological state. Cytoplasmic structures previously interpreted as "crystalloids" consist of long bundles of minute parallel tubules, each about 180 A in diameter, which seem to be local differentiations of the endoplasmic reticulum. The mitochondria are rod-shaped, and contain a moderately complex internal membrane structure, and also occasional large inclusions that are spherical and homogeneous. The prominent juxtanuclear Golgi complex contains closely packed flattened sacs and small vesicles. The results of the present study, coupled with biochemical evidence from other laboratories, make it seem highly probable that the agranular endoplasmic reticulum is involved in the synthesis of the steroid hormones produced by the interstitial cell. This finding therefore constitutes one of the first functions of the agranular reticulum for which there is good morphological and biochemical evidence.

Comparison of LH stimulated testosterone release from Mongolian gerbil and mouse whole testes and isolated interstitial cells in vitro: difference in response and sensitivity

1983 ◽  
Vol 103 (4) ◽  
pp. 567-571 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bodo Probst
Keyword(s):  
Mongolian Gerbil ◽  
Interstitial Cell ◽  
Interstitial Cells ◽  
Small Samples ◽  
Half Maximum ◽  
Testosterone Production ◽  
Testicular Interstitial Cells ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Stimulation Of

Abstract. The in vitro steroidogenic response of gerbil and mouse whole testes and isolated testicular interstitial cells to stimulation with gonadotrophic hormones was compared. The testosterone release during incubation in vitro with LH/FSH was measured radioimmunologically. In whole testes incubation, basal testosterone release after 4 h was significantly lower in gerbil as compared to mouse testes, but the testosterone release on maximal LH-stimulation was not significantly different. The increment in the testosterone production from basal to stimulated levels was greater in gerbil, the production per gram testis was greater in mouse testes. Mechanically dispersed interstitial cell preparations from gerbil and mouse released comparable amounts of testosterone during in vitro incubation. The lowest effective standard-concentration was 1.1 μIU LH/vial in gerbil and 35.9 μIU LH/vial in mouse interstitial cell incubations. Half-maximum testosterone release (ED50) occurred at 8–15 μU LH/vial for gerbil and 86–200 μIU LH/vial (ranges) for mouse interstitial cells. The difference in sensitivity to LH stimulation of gerbil and mouse interstitial cells is approximately 13-fold, allowing the application of the gerbil interstitial cell assay to studies dealing with very small samples or little bioactive LH-concentrations.

scholarly journals THE FINE STRUCTURE OF TESTICULAR INTERSTITIAL CELLS IN GUINEA PIGS

1965 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 911-935 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Kent Christensen
Keyword(s):  
Endoplasmic Reticulum ◽  
Guinea Pig ◽  
Osmium Tetroxide ◽  
Interstitial Cell ◽  
Interstitial Cells ◽  
Dense Matrix ◽  
Central Regions ◽  
Lipofuscin Pigment ◽  
Testicular Interstitial Cells ◽  
Peripheral Areas

In guinea pig testes perfused with either glutaraldehyde or osmium tetroxide fixative, the cytoplasm of the interstitial cells contains an exceptionally abundant agranular endoplasmic reticulum. The reticulum in central regions of the cell is a network of interconnected tubules, but in extensive peripheral areas the reticulum is commonly organized into closely packed, flattened cisternae which are fenestrated. Occasional small patches of the granular reticulum occur in the cytoplasm and connect freely with the agranular reticulum. The mitochondria have a dense matrix and contain cristae and some tubules. The Golgi complex is disperse and shows no evidence of secretory material. The cytoplasm also contains lipid droplets. Lipofuscin pigment granules are probably polymorphic residual bodies and contain three components: (1) a dense material which at high magnification shows a 75-A periodicity; (2) a medium-sized lipid droplet; and (3) a cap-like structure. In glutaraldehyde-perfused testis the interstitial cell cytoplasm appears to have the same density from cell to cell, and the agranular reticulum is tubular or cisternal but not in the form of empty vesicles. Thus the "dark" and "light" cells and the vesicular agranular reticulum sometimes encountered in other fixations may be artifacts. Biochemical results from other laboratories, correlated with the present findings, indicate that the membranes of the agranular endoplasmic reticulum in guinea pig interstitial cells are the site of at least two enzymes of androgen biosynthesis, the 17-hydroxylase and the 17-desmolase.

LACK OF AROMATISATION OF CIRCULATING DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE AND DEHYDROEPIANDROSTERONE SULPHATE IN AMENORRHOEIC WOMEN STIMULATED WITH HUMAN GONADOTROPHINS

1965 ◽  
Vol 49 (2) ◽  
pp. 248-261 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. Mancuso ◽  
Francesca P. Mancuso ◽  
K.-G. Tillinger ◽  
E. Diczfalusy
Keyword(s):  
Pregnant Women ◽  
Ovarian Stimulation ◽  
Interstitial Cell ◽  
Follicular Phase ◽  
Radioactive Material ◽  
Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulphate ◽  
Experimental Conditions ◽  
Human Menopausal Gonadotrophin ◽  
Urine Specimens ◽  
Stimulating Hormone

ABSTRACT Two amenorrhoeic women were given a course of 10 injections of human menopausal gonadotrophin (HMG) in daily doses corresponding to 260 IU of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) activity and 165 IU of interstitial cell stimulating hormone (ICSH) activity. In both patients an extensive ovarian stimulation was observed as indicated by the greatly increased urinary excretion of oestrone, 17β-oestradiol and oestriol. When HMG-treatment was followed subsequently by the administration of human chorionic gonadotrophin (HCG) for 5 days in a total dose of 18 000 and 30 000 IU, respectively, functional corpus luteum tissue was formed in both patients as evidenced by a huge rise in urinary pregnane-3α,20α-diol excretion and by the secretory transformation of a previously atrophic endometrium. At the approximate height of the follicular phase tracer doses of 3H-labelled dehydroepiandrosterone sulphate (DHAS) and 14C-labelled dehydroepiandrosterone (DHA) were administered to both patients in the form of a continuous intravenous infusion of 10 hours' duration. Infusion of the same dose was repeated under identical experimental conditions at the approximate height of the luteal phase. In both patients, very little radioactive material was associated with oestrone and 17β-oestradiol and none with oestriol isolated from 96-hours' urine specimens obtained at both phases of ovarian stimulation. It is concluded that — in contradistinction to the situation in pregnant women — circulating DHAS is not a significant precursor of urinary oestrogens in non-pregnant women.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document