Endocrine Abstracts

After they are released from the testis, spermatozoa pass into the epididymis where they mature. The epididymis is a single, highly coiled duct that develops from a portion of the embryonic Wolffian duct (WD) under the control of testosterone. We have used a model system in which the androgen receptor (AR) antagonist flutamide is administered to pregnant rats to investigate the cellular mechanisms responsible for androgen-dependent WD differentiation.Tim...

Spermatogenesis is a complex process that requires the formation of junctional complexes between somatic Sertoli cells and germ cells and hormonal regulation of the Sertoli cells. Androgens and oestrogens are both synthesised in the testis. In adults Sertoli cells contain both androgen receptor (AR) and oestrogen receptor beta (ERß). In the present study we used a transformed Sc cell line (SK11) that was prepared from the testes of mice expressing the large T antigen. Whe...

Oestrogens are essential regulators of fertility in women. They induce changes in uterine cell function by binding to oestrogen receptors (ERs) two of which (ERα and ERß) have been identified. ERα and ERß share significant sequence homology with three other steroid receptor superfamily members that are known as oestrogen related receptors alpha (ERRα), beta (ERRß) and gamma (ERRγ). ERRs bind as monomers to the sequence TNAAGGTCA and as dimers...

The two primary functions of the adult testis (sperm production and hormone production) need to be co-ordinated because sperm production is completely dependent on appropriate hormone (primarily testosterone) production. However, it is equally evident from animal studies that Leydig cell (LC) development and function are also affected by developmental and functional status of the seminiferous tubules. For example, development of the adult LC population is dependent on reduced ...

Smoking by women during pregnancy can result in a 30–48% reduction in sperm count and testis size in the exposed offspring in adulthood, probably because of a decrease in the number of Sertoli cells. Until recently Sertoli cell proliferation was thought to be androgen independent because fetal Sertoli cells do not express the androgen receptor, but new evidence suggests that androgens may play the lead role in regulating Sertoli cell proliferation in fetal (Tan et al.<...