Endocrinology, Vol 96, 618-624, Copyright © 1975 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Rat sertoli cells: a rapid method for obtaining viable cells

MJ Welsh and JP Wiebe

A method is described for obtaining populations of viable Sertoli cells from rat testes. Minced whole testes from rats of 15 to 29 days of age are sequentially treated with collagenase and pancreatin. The resulting suspension of cells is sedimented through a sucrose density gradient. Preparations are produced consisting of from 60% to 82% Sertoli cells, an enrichment of 2 to 5 times the proportion of Sertoli cells in whole testes of these ages. The preparations are free of interstitial cells, are essentially free of peritubular cells and contain reduced numbers of germinal cells; the main contaminating cell types are spermatogonia and spermatocytes. The Sertoli cells are considered to be 95% viable by their ability to exclude trypan blue and by subsequent culturing in vitro. The entire procedure requires 3 h. Maintenance of the Sertoli- enriched fraction in modified Eagle's minimal essential medium temporarily at 41 C allows preparations of Sertoli cell monolayer cultures consisting of 95%-98% Sertoli cells within 3 days.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. S. Devi, K. Sarda, B. Stephen, P. Nagarajan, and S. S. Majumdar Follicle-Stimulating Hormone-Independent Functions of Primate Sertoli Cells: Potential Implications in the Diagnosis and Management of Male Infertility J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., March 1, 2006; 91(3): 1062 - 1068. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				X. Yu, J. S. Sidhu, S. Hong, and E. M. Faustman Essential Role of Extracellular Matrix (ECM) Overlay in Establishing the Functional Integrity of Primary Neonatal Rat Sertoli Cell/Gonocyte Co-cultures: An Improved In Vitro Model for Assessment of Male Reproductive Toxicity Toxicol. Sci., April 1, 2005; 84(2): 378 - 393. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]