| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
ARTICLES |
Departments of Anatomy (H.H., M.P.), Physiology (W.Y., M.K., F.Z., K.V., J.T.), and Pediatrics (J.T.), University of Turku, Turku, Finland; The Population Council (H.H., P.L.M.), New York, New York; and Pediatric Endocrinology Unit (O.S.), Karolinska Institute, Stockholm, Sweden
Address all correspondence and requests for reprints to: Dr. Jorma Toppari, Department of Physiology, Kiinamyllynkatu 10, 20520 Turku, Finland. E-mail: jorma.toppari{at}utu.fi
To address the possibility that stem cell factor (SCF) is a paracrine regulator of germ cell development in the adult rat testis, stage-specific distribution of SCF messenger RNA (mRNA) was investigated with Northern blot and in situ hybridization analyses. The highest levels of SCF mRNA were found in stages II–VI of the rat seminiferous epithelial cycle, whereas the lowest levels were in stages VII–VIII. Intermediate levels of SCF mRNA were detected in stages IX–XIV–I of the cycle. The expression of the SCF gene was found to be developmentally regulated, and the expression pattern followed the process of Sertoli cell proliferation and differentiation during postnatal life. The effect of mouse recombinant SCF on spermatogonial DNA synthesis was studied using an in vitro tissue culture system for stage-defined seminiferous tubules. A significant increase in DNA synthesis in spermatogonia could be detected when tubule segments from stage XII were cultured in the presence of 100 ng/ml SCF for 48 h (P < 0.05) and 72 h (P < 0.01). This observation was further confirmed with autoradiographic analyses; almost a 100-fold increase in thymidine incorporation in the SCF-treated (100 ng/ml) tubule segments was observed compared with that in untreated samples. The results of the present study suggest that SCF is a Sertoli cell-produced paracrine regulator and acts as a survival factor for spermatogonia in the adult rat seminiferous epithelium in a stage-specific manner.
This article has been cited by other articles:
 |
|
 |
|
  S. Koduri, S. A. Hild, L. Pessaint, J. R. Reel, and B. J. Attardi Mechanism of Action of l-CDB-4022, a Potential Nonhormonal Male Contraceptive, in the Seminiferous Epithelium of the Rat Testis Endocrinology, April 1, 2008; 149(4): 1850 - 1860. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. C Garcia, M. Lopez, C. V Alvarez, F. Casanueva, M. Tena-Sempere, and C. Dieguez Role of ghrelin in reproduction Reproduction, March 1, 2007; 133(3): 531 - 540. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Raucci and M. M. Di Fiore The c-kit receptor protein in the testis of green frog Rana esculenta: seasonal changes in relationship to testosterone titres and spermatogonial proliferation Reproduction, January 1, 2007; 133(1): 51 - 60. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 A Catizone, G Ricci, J Del Bravo, and M Galdieri Hepatocyte growth factor modulates in vitro survival and proliferation of germ cells during postnatal testis development. J. Endocrinol., April 1, 2006; 189(1): 137 - 146. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. L. Barreiro, R. Pineda, F. Gaytan, M. Archanco, M. A. Burrell, J. M. Castellano, H. Hakovirta, M. Nurmio, L. Pinilla, E. Aguilar, et al. Pattern of Orexin Expression and Direct Biological Actions of Orexin-A in Rat Testis Endocrinology, December 1, 2005; 146(12): 5164 - 5175. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
I. Plotton, P. Sanchez, M. H. Perrard, P. Durand, and H. Lejeune Quantification of stem cell factor mRNA levels in the rat testis: usefulness of clusterin mRNA as a marker of the amount of mRNA of sertoli cell origin in post pubertal rats J. Endocrinol., July 1, 2005; 186(1): 131 - 143. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 I. Dorval-Coiffec, J.-G. Delcros, H. Hakovirta, J. Toppari, B. Jegou, and C. Piquet-Pellorce Identification of the Leukemia Inhibitory Factor Cell Targets Within the Rat Testis Biol Reprod, March 1, 2005; 72(3): 602 - 611. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. L. Barreiro, F. Gaytan, J. M. Castellano, J. S. Suominen, J. Roa, M. Gaytan, E. Aguilar, C. Dieguez, J. Toppari, and M. Tena-Sempere Ghrelin Inhibits the Proliferative Activity of Immature Leydig Cells in Vivo and Regulates Stem Cell Factor Messenger Ribonucleic Acid Expression in Rat Testis Endocrinology, November 1, 2004; 145(11): 4825 - 4834. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Ahtiainen, J. Toppari, M. Poutanen, and I. Huhtaniemi Indirect Sertoli Cell-Mediated Ablation of Germ Cells in Mice Expressing the Inhibin-{alpha} Promoter/Herpes Simplex Virus Thymidine Kinase Transgene Biol Reprod, November 1, 2004; 71(5): 1545 - 1550. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. A. Bedell and A. M. Zama Genetic Analysis of Kit Ligand Functions During Mouse Spermatogenesis J Androl, March 1, 2004; 25(2): 188 - 199. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. Grimaldi, F. Capolunghi, R. Geremia, and P. Rossi Cyclic Adenosine Monophosphate (cAMP) Stimulation of the Kit Ligand Promoter in Sertoli Cells Requires an Sp1-Binding Region, a Canonical TATA Box, and a cAMP-Induced Factor Binding to an Immediately Downstream GC-Rich Element Biol Reprod, December 1, 2003; 69(6): 1979 - 1988. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Ohmura, T. Ogawa, M. Ono, M. Dezawa, M. Hosaka, Y. Kubota, and H. Sawada Increment of Murine Spermatogonial Cell Number by Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Analogue Is Independent of Stem Cell Factor c-kit Signal Biol Reprod, June 1, 2003; 68(6): 2304 - 2313. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. Guerif, V. Cadoret, V. Rahal-Perola, J. Lansac, F. Bernex, J. Jacques Panthier, M. Therese Hochereau-de Reviers, and D. Royere Apoptosis, Onset and Maintenance of Spermatogenesis: Evidence for the Involvement of Kit in Kit-Haplodeficient Mice Biol Reprod, July 1, 2002; 67(1): 70 - 79. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 T. M. Plant and G. R. Marshall The Functional Significance of FSH in Spermatogenesis and the Control of Its Secretion in Male Primates Endocr. Rev., December 1, 2001; 22(6): 764 - 786. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
I. Goddard, S. Bauer, A. Gougeon, F. Lopez, N. Giannetti, C. Susini, M. Benahmed, and S. Krantic Somatostatin Inhibits Stem Cell Factor Messenger RNA Expression by Sertoli Cells and Stem Cell Factor-Induced DNA Synthesis in Isolated Seminiferous Tubules Biol Reprod, December 1, 2001; 65(6): 1732 - 1742. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S. Dolci, M. Pellegrini, S. Di Agostino, R. Geremia, and P. Rossi Signaling through Extracellular Signal-regulated Kinase Is Required for Spermatogonial Proliferative Response to Stem Cell Factor J. Biol. Chem., October 19, 2001; 276(43): 40225 - 40233. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. B. Daniel and J. F. Habener Pituitary Adenylate Cyclase-Activating Polypeptide Gene Expression Regulated by a Testis-Specific Promoter in Germ Cells during Spermatogenesis Endocrinology, March 1, 2000; 141(3): 1218 - 1227. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 W Yan, J Suominen, and J Toppari Stem cell factor protects germ cells from apoptosis in vitro J. Cell Sci., January 1, 2000; 113(1): 161 - 168. [Abstract] [PDF]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
| Endocrinology | Endocrine Reviews | J. Clin. End. & Metab. |
| Molecular Endocrinology | Recent Prog. Horm. Res. | All Endocrine Journals |
