Specificity of Hormone-Induced Responses of Testicular Cells in Culture

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Abstract
The morphological and biochemical (ABP secretion) effects of FSH, LH and TSH on cultured testicular explants were investigated. This approach did not involve exogenous enzymes and thereby allowed us to test the hypothesis that enzyme treatment (normally used to dissociate testicular tissue into Sertoli cell aggregates) induces deleterious alterations to these cells, allowing them to respond to TSH as well as FSH. Testicular explants were treated with rat or ovine FSH, LH or TSH for 7 days. Morphology was studied by phase and Nonarski optics. ABP was measured by equilibrium dialysis (Fritz et al., 1976). FSH and TSH treatment induced branched and filamentous cytoplasmic processes in the testicular cells. ABP secretion into the culture medium from the FSH and TSH treated cultures was also significantly increased (P≤0.05) No difference in morphology or ABP secretion was observed with LH when used at a 5-fold increase over FSH and TSH levels. These results indicate that FSH and TSH can produce morphological and physiological changes in testicular cells obtained without the use of exogenous enzymes.