101. THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SERTOLI CELL STATUS AND IDIOPATHIC MALE INFERTILITY
J. T. Haverfield A B , P. G. Stanton A C and S. J. Meachem A BA Prince Henry’s Institute of Medical Research, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
B Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
C Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Monash University, Clayton, VIC, Australia.
Reproduction, Fertility and Development 22(9) 19-19 https://doi.org/10.1071/SRB10Abs101
Published: 6 September 2010
Abstract
The cornerstone of normal adult testicular function is a mature Sertoli cell population. The maturational switch for Sertoli cells occurs at puberty, where immature Sertoli cells differentiate into a mature population that hold the necessary architectural and functional characteristics to regulate spermatogenesis (1). Data from rodent models (2, 3) suggest a relationship between Sertoli cell immaturity and infertility, however clinical data confirming this relationship is limited. We postulate that adult Sertoli cells in the infertile human testis display an immature status, with more severe disruptions of spermatogenesis associating with a greater extent of Sertoli cell immaturity. Using testicular biopsy samples obtained from fertile men (n = 3) and infertile patients (n = 6/group) displaying meiotic arrest (MA) and Sertoli cell only (SCO) syndrome, we sought to survey the status of Sertoli cell populations. All samples were immunofluorescently probed for three hallmark features of adult Sertoli cell maturation; organisation of the inter-Sertoli tight junctions, expression of the androgen receptor and proliferative ability. Differences between groups were quantified using stereology. The results show that the majority of infertile patients display highly disorganised tight junctions, a feature not seen in fertile men, however surprisingly no difference in the extent of tight junction disruption was observed between MA and SCO. Preliminary data also show that some component of the Sertoli cell population in MA and SCO patients was non-functional and proliferative. These results suggest that the Sertoli cell population in men suffering from idiopathic infertility present an abnormal maturational status that is independent of the extent of spermatogenic disruption. Moreover, this study supports the growing body of evidence proposing that the adult Sertoli cell population is not a homogenous, terminally differentiated population, and suggests that the failure of Sertoli cells to reach or maintain their mature status may be the cornerstone of abnormal adult testicular function.
(1) Sharpe R.M. et al., 2003, Reproduction, 125: 769.
(2) Tarulli G.A. et al., 2006, Biology of Reproduction, 74: 798–806.
(3) Tarulli G.A. et al., 2008, Reproduction, 135: 867–877.
