Search PubMedSearch

SEARCH · Search PubMed

Results for “testis development”

Search indexed PubMed citations on genomics, clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health. Explore titles, authors and supplied subject terms, then open the PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources

Pax-5 encodes the transcription factor BSAP and is expressed in B lymphocytes, the developing CNS, and adult testis.

BSAP has been identified previously as a transcription factor that is expressed at early, but not late, stages of B-cell differentiation. Biochemical purification and cDNA cloning has now revealed that BSAP belongs to the family of paired domain proteins. BSAP is encoded by the Pax-5 gene and has been highly conserved between human and mouse. An intact paired domain was shown to be both necessary and sufficient for DNA binding of BSAP. Binding studies with several BSAP recognition sequences demonstrated that the sequence specificity of BSAP differs from that of the distantly related paired domain protein Pax-1. During embryogenesis, the BSAP gene is transiently expressed in the mesencephalon and spinal cord with a spatial and temporal expression pattern that is distinct from that of other Pax genes in the developing central nervous system (CNS). Later, the expression of the BSAP gene shifts to the fetal liver where it correlates with the onset of B lymphopoiesis. BSAP expression persists in B lymphocytes and is also seen in the testis of the adult mouse. All of this evidence indicates that the transcription factor BSAP may not only play an important role in B-cell differentiation but also in neural development and spermatogenesis.

Amino Acid Sequence

Effect of embryonic and/or neonatal diethylstilbestrol and allylestrenol treatment on postnatal development of the chick testis.

The synthetic steroid diethylstilbestrol (DES) and the steroid-like allylestrenol (AE) have been used for years in human medicine for the protection of pregnancy. The hazards to the fetus of gestational DES treatment are well established [2, 17, 18]. Knowledge of a similar effect of AE is still fragmentary. Therefore, further studies are required of the after-effects of embryonic and perinatal AE exposure. In our earlier experiments with polypeptide hormones [4, 5, 6] we have observed that perinatal age is a critical period in the maturation of hormone receptors. In this period the presence of hormone induces the development of its specific receptors. The phenomenon is termed hormonal imprinting [4, 5, 6]. During its maturation the receptor is flexible and the presence of non-specific hormones capable of binding to it may alter its normal development Accordingly, even a single hormone injection in the perinatal period may alter the hormone-sensitivity of the target organ.

Allylestrenol

Insulin-like growth factor I in the developing and mature rat testis: immunohistochemical aspects.

The distribution of insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I; somatomedin C) was mapped in testes of different aged rats by using immunohistochemical techniques. The antiserum used, K 624, has been demonstrated to be specific for human IGF-I, as defined by several criteria. Antibodies to the M1 subunit of ribonucleotide reductase, a key enzyme in DNA synthesis, were used to visualize meiotic and mitotic cells. Cytoplasmic IGF-I-like immunoreactivity as demonstrable during the first two postnatal weeks in spermatogenic cells, in Sertoli cells, and in Leydig cells. The IGF-I-like immunoreactivity decreased in the Sertoli and Leydig cells during the third and fourth postnatal weeks, and in adult rats, only spermatogenic cells showed IGF-I-like immunoreactivity. In mature rat testes, the spermatocytes were strongly immunoreactive. During puberty and adulthood, the spermatogonia expressed subunit M1 ribonucleotide reductase immunoreactivity, whereas no IGF-I-like immunoreactivity could be detected. No extracellular immunoreactivity was observed. We propose that IGF-I and/or IGF-I-like substances, possibly formed by primary spermatocytes, are likely to be involved in differentiation processes, but not in the initiation of cell proliferation in adult testes. The autocrine and/or paracrine action of IGF-I and/or IGF-I-like substances may thus have different action in developing testes than in adult testes. Our results do, however, not allow firm statements about whether IGF-I and related substances exert their actions on Sertoli cells or spermatogenic cells.

Aging

Proliferation of Sertoli cells during development of the human testis assessed by stereological methods.

Sertoli cells were studied using stereological methods in testes obtained from five children who were stillborn, and 31 individuals between 3 months and 40 years of age, who had suffered from sudden, unexpected death. The mean nuclear volume of the Sertoli cells, the numerical density of Sertoli cells, and the total number of Sertoli cells per individual were determined by point- and profile-counting of 0.5 micron sections. The nuclear volume of Sertoli cells increased from a median of 120 microns3 (range 53-130) during the period of 3 months to 10 years to 210 microns3 (170-260) in adults (greater than 25 years). The numerical density of Sertoli cells decreased from a median of 1200 X 10(6)/cm3 (870-1400) during childhood (3 months to 10 years) to 140 X 10(6)/cm3 (110-260) in adults (greater than 25 years). The total number of Sertoli cells per individual increased significantly from a median of 260 X 10(6) (130-520) during the late foetal period to 1500 X 10(6) (850-2900) in individuals from 3 months to 10 years of age. A further increase was found during puberty as the number of Sertoli cells in adults (greater than 25 years) was 3700 X 10(6) (2500-5600). These results indicate that significant qualitative and quantitative changes in the population of Sertoli cells take place after birth.

Adolescent

False-negative biopsy for testicular intraepithelial neoplasia.

A routine biopsy of the contralateral testis obtained during orchiectomy for embryonal carcinoma in a 26-year-old patient was negative for testicular intraepithelial neoplasia (TIN; carcinoma in situ of the testis). However, a rebiopsy that was taken because of unexplained elevation of alpha-fetoprotein 15 months later proved to be positive for TIN. Six previously reported cases of false-negative testicular biopsies obtained during a search for TIN are reviewed. In the light of several thousands of biopsies performed world-wide to date, the number of false-negative biopsies is probably very low. Although TIN is obviously not randomly dispersed throughout the testis in all patients, a routine biopsy of the contralateral testicle in patients with testis cancer remains a valuable tool for early detection of bilateral testicular tumors.-cal distribution of TIN in testes removed for this lesion. Their results suggested that after puberty TIN is usually randomly dispersed throughout the testicle. Support for this concept was recently given by Mumperow et al. (1992). These authors examined tumor-bearing testes and they did not find differences in the presence of TIN in biopsies taken from a location close to the tumor and taken from a location distant from the tumor. Thus, one single biopsy is regard to be representative for the entire testis and one biopsy taken after puberty is also assumed to be reliable for predicting whether the testis will ever develop cancer (Berthelsen and Skakkebaek 1981 a). Conversely, if the biopsy is negative for TIN, a future tumor manifestation in the testicle examined is not expected according to this theory (Skakkebaek et al. 1987). Taken together, the concept of TIN would constitute an ideal avenue for the early detection of testis cancer in high-risk populations with the biopsy being a safe means of discriminating between individuals who will or who will not develop testis cancer.

Adult

The development of Schistosoma haematobium in the hamster.

The in vivo development of Schistosoma haematobium in the hamster was studied. Six stages of development were distinguished on the basis of morphological and histochemical criteria. Schistosomula reached the lung (stage 1) on day three post-infection, with maximum concentrations on day nine. Gut formation occurred in the second stage at day 18. In stage 3 'Organogeny' (day 24) males developed one testis and females a narrow uterus. Pairing and the development of males with sperm-containing testes and females with an ovary characterize stage 4 (day 28). In stage 5 (day 53) vitelline follicles begin to develop in the females. The final stage, oviposition, occurred on days 61-63 and was characterized by the appearance of fully developed eggs in the uterus.

Animals

Corticosteroid 11 beta-dehydrogenase in rat testis.

Corticosteroid 11 beta-dehydrogenase, the enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of the biologically active steroid cortisol to its inactive metabolite cortisone, is present in testis. Since excess cortisol in men and other mammals and excess corticosterone in rodents cause physiological abnormalities including abnormal testicular function, it was pertinent to study the cellular distribution of 11 beta-dehydrogenase in the testis. Purified antiserum directed against homogeneous rat 11 beta-dehydrogenase was used to localize the enzyme in the developing rat testis. With immunofluorescence, the enzyme was not detectable in fetal testis or in the testis of young male rats until the 26th day of development. A few interstitial cells were stained in the testis of 26-day-old animals. In the testis of 31-day-old rats many cells in the interstitium were positive. In adult animals the entire interstitial region displayed bright fluorescence. Depleting animals of germ cells did not abolish the fluorescence. The appearance of this enzyme correlates temporally with the postnatal increase in Leydig cell number and the developmental rise in serum testosterone. We suggest that 11 beta-dehydrogenase of Leydig cells protects the testis from the deleterious effects of cortisol.

11-beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenases

Canine cryptorchism and subsequent testicular neoplasia: case-control study with epidemiologic update.

A retrospective study of 2,912 cryptorchid dogs identified 14 breeds with significantly high risk. Among six distinct closely interrelated breed groups (e.g., toy, miniature, and standard poodles), the risk in the smaller breed was always greater than that in the larger relative, suggesting that genetically influenced maldescent could be, in part, related to physical size or the rate of growth of the involved structures. Testicular tumors were diagnosed in 5.7% of the cryptorchid dogs; half had only Sertoli cell tumors, one-third had only seminomas. The relative risk for Sertoli cell tumor or seminoma was not directly related to a familial risk for cryptorchism. Using the health experience of a control population composed of male dogs with anal sac disease (N = 4,184), there is an estimated relative risk of 9.2 in cryptorchid dogs to develop a testis tumor (95% confidence interval, 5.9-14.3) and 4.2 in dogs with inguinal hernia (95% confidence interval, 1.8-9.5). Considering that the anatomical development of the genital tract, testis descent, and tunic relationships in dog are very similar to that in man, and that the associations of cryptorchism and inguinal hernia with testis neoplasms are also similar, the dog should be an excellent model system to further investigate the causes of human cryptorchism.

Animals

Hyperplasia of spermatic cord nerves: a sign of testicular absence.

The comparative histologic study of the spermatic cord in the absence of testis, epididymis-testis separation, and normal development of both testis and epididymis, revealed that there is nerve trunk hyperplasia and hypertrophy in absence of the testis. This finding may greatly aid the diagnosis of testicular absence in the management of impalpable testes.

Cryptorchidism

Autosomal genes involved in mammalian primary sex determination.

Beginning with findings made during the late 1950s and early 1960s, evidence continues to accumulate in support of the hypothesis that the mammalian Y chromosome carries a gene that induces the undifferentiated foetal gonad in XY individuals to develop as a testis. Recently a DNA sequence has been isolated from the human Y chromosome that appears to be the hypothesized Y-linked testis-determining gene, and advances have also been made toward identifying genes that interact with the Y-linked testis-determining (Tdy) gene to initiate testis formation. These loci have been identified in specific stocks of mice carrying the mutant Thp or TOrl allele at the T locus located on chromosome 17, and in crosses involving the transfer of a Y chromosome from two populations of Mus domesticus into the genomes of specific inbred strains of mice. The data in both cases support the hypothesis that there are several loci involved in testis determination and that abnormal interaction of these loci disrupts initiation of testis determination, resulting in development of ovarian tissue in XY individuals.

Animals

Gonadal dimorphism explained as a dosage effect of a locus on the sex chromosomes, the gonad-differentiation locus (GDL).

In human somatic cells bearing two X chromosomes, one X is genetically inactivated throughout most of its length, whereas in cells with one X and one Y both sex chromosomes are active (with the exception of the constitutive heterochromatin of the Y that is inert). The vast base of information concerning normal and abnormal human sexual development that has accumulated since the advent of human cytogenetics 3 decades ago can be integrated by the following hypothesis: Homologous gonad-differentiation loci (GDLs) exist on the X and Y. The GDLs are strictly sex-linked; that is, normally they do not recombine during spermatogenesis, so that considerable divergence in DNA sequence doubtless has occurred between the locus on the X and the locus on the Y. The abundance of their evolutionarily conserved product--a substance still to be identified--determines the path of differentiation that the indifferent gonadal anlage of the early embryo will take: if only one GDL is transcribed, the case when two X chromosomes are present, ovary will develop; if two GDLs are transcribed, the case when a Y is present along with an X, testis will develop. By implication, facultative X inactivation is an integral and essential component of the system adopted in mammalian evolution for accomplishing gonadal--viz., sexual--dimorphism.

Chromosome Mapping

[Arteriographic diagnosis of a tumor arising from an undescended testis].

A case with a tumor developed in an undescended testis diagnosed by arteriography is shown. Radiological diagnostic procedures in the diagnosis of cryptorchism are discussed. It is established that selective testicular arteriography is of great value in the preoperative diagnosis of an intra-abdominally located tumor developed in an undescended testis even in the area of modern high resolution non invasive imaging modalities.

Adult

Transgenic mice demonstrate a testis-specific promoter for angiotensin-converting enzyme.

There are two isozymes of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), one produced by somatic tissues and a smaller protein synthesized by developing spermatozoa (testis ACE). To investigate the molecular control of testis ACE, we generated mice transgenic for a construct containing a putative testis-specific ACE promoter linked to the Escherichia coli reporter gene encoding beta-galactosidase. The transgenic mice express beta-galactosidase protein and RNA only within the testis. Histochemical analysis of the transgenic mice shows co-localization of beta-galactosidase protein and endogenous ACE within elongating spermatozoa. These studies demonstrate that transcription of testis ACE is controlled by a strong intragenic testis-specific promoter that is contained within a 698-base pair fragment immediately upstream from the transcription start site of testis ACE. Characterization of the testis ACE promoter may provide insights into the molecular mechanisms controlling cell stage-specific gene expression in the male germ line.

Animals

Quantitation of testicular and somatic cytochromes c in testis and somatic tissues from developing rats.

By combining chromatographic and spectral procedures, simple and quantitative assays for somatic cytochrome c (cyt cs) and testicular cytochrome c (cyt ct) in crude animal tissue extracts were developed. Using this assay procedure, limited developmental studies of cyt ct and cs were performed with tissue extracts of 27-, 58-, and 85-day-old rats. Specific contents of cyt cs in somatic tissues (i.e., micrograms of cyt c/g of tissue) of these three age groups did not show significant variations. However, the amounts of both cyt ct and cs in testis were markedly increased as the rats approached maturity. Increasing cyt ct/cyt cs ratios as the rat developed to maturity suggest that expression of cyt ct is preferentially required for specific function of testis. Application of both molecular biological techniques and this assay (for holo-cyt ct) should be useful to study the overall regulation of the expression of cyt ct in testis.

Aging

Androgen binding protein as a biochemical marker of formation of the blood-testis barrier.

Androgen binding protein (ABP) was measured during postnatal development in normal and irradiated rats to determine whether development of a blood-testis barrier and formation of a continuous lumen from testis to epididymis is correlated with entry of ABP into the caput epididymis. ABP is found in normal testis as early as 14 days postnatally (0.2 pmol/mg), at which time no blood-testis barrier is observed by the peroxidase perfusion technique. Previous findings have shown a close correlation of blood-testis barrier development and lumen formation. Indeed, ABP is not detectable in the epididymis until 18-20 days of age (1.0 pmol/mg) at which time blood-testis barrier formation and lumen development is complete. Whole body irradiation (125 rads) of pregnant rats at 19-20 days of gestation produces male offspring with seminiferous tubules remarkably free of germinal epithelium and containing essentially only Sertoli cells. These Sertoli cell-enriched (SCE) testes produce normal amounts of ABP between 14 and 21 days postnatally. However, between 21 and 30 days of age the specific activity of ABP is significantly higher in the SCE tests (2.8 pmol/mg protein) than in normal testis (0.5 pmol/mg protein). In the SCE testis neither blood-testis barrier development nor lumen formation are complete until 30 days of age, at which time ABP is first detectable in epididymis of the irradiated rat. Thereafter there is a gradual decline of ABP in the SCE testis-and a dramatic increase in the epididymis. NIH-FSH-S-10 (200 mug/rat) injected SC into 14-day-old normal rats stimulated ABP in the testis from control levels of 0.15 pmol/mg to 1.46 pmol/mg within 4 h after injection. However, no ABP was detectable in the epididymis of either the control or the FSH-stimulated rats. These findings suggest that entry of ABP into caput epididymis is an index of blood-testis barrier formation and lumen development.

Androgens

Isolation and partial characterization of basic fibroblast growth factor from bovine testis.

A basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF) has been purified to homogeneity from bovine testis, using ammonium sulfate precipitation of the crude extract followed by three chromatographic steps, involving cation-exchange, heparin-Sepharose, and reversed-phase HPLC. Gas-phase sequence analysis showed the amino-terminal amino acid sequence of the isolated polypeptide as His-Phe-Lys-Asp-Pro-Lys-Arg-Leu-Tyr-, which is identical to the amino-terminal of the (16-146) fragment of basic FGF previously characterized from corpus luteum, adrenal, and kidney. The purified FGF was shown to have the same biological activity as that of basic FGF (1-146). This finding suggests that basic FGF is present in testis and may act as a local regulator of testicular function. In addition, testicular FGF might play an important role in spermatogenesis and/or the development of testis.

Amino Acid Sequence