Age-dependent changes in the in-vitro response of a pig Sertoli cell-enriched population to FSH |
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Authors: | C Monet-Kuntz I Fontaine |
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Institution: | Unité Endocrinologie de la gamétogenèse, INRA Station de physiologie de la reproduction, CNRS URA 234, Nouzilly, Monnaie, France. |
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Abstract: | The response of pig Sertoli cell-enriched cultures to FSH was investigated by measuring plasminogen activator (PA) secretion in culture, throughout the nonpubertal and prepubertal periods. Sertoli cell-enriched populations could be isolated from birth until a testicular weight of 56 g. FSH elicited a dose-dependent increase in PA secretion by pig Sertoli cell-enriched cultures. The ED50 was minimal for cells coming from testes weighing 10-22 g, and increased more than 2-fold for cells from heavier testes. This suggests that, at the end of the non-pubertal period, an increased FSH sensitivity is important for initiation of spermatogenesis in this species, and that during the prepubertal period Sertoli cells become less sensitive to FSH. The FSH-stimulated PA secretion increased about 10-fold from a testicular weight of 25 g onwards, i.e. when primary spermatocytes appear in seminiferous tubules. |
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