Abstract
Testicular biopsies of infertile patients are often characterized by a mixed atrophy, in which different types of spermatogenic lesions are found in adjacent tubules. In order to evaluate a possible involvement of the state of differentiation of the Sertoli cells, the distribution pattern of cytokeratin and vimentin intermediate filaments within the seminiferous epithelium of 228 biopsy specimens with normal spermatogenesis (n=10), mixed atrophy (n= 206) or Sertoli Cell Only Syndrome (n=12) were investigated by means of immunohistochemical techniques. Sertoli cells were regularly found to show vimentin expression in tubules with normal spermatogenesis as well as in tubules with any kind of spermatogenic impairment including SCO. Cytokeratin expression as a marker showing lack of differentiation was common in Sertoli cells of tubules with arrest of spermatogenesis at the level of spermatogonia, and was occasionally associated with arrest at the level of primary spermatocytes or with SCO. Ultrastructural examination of tubules with spermatogonial arrest revealed Sertoli cells with features of typical fetal or prepubertal Sertoli cells, such as round to ovoid nuclei without indentations, stacks of rough ER and spot desmosomes. These data suggest that spermatogenic arrest at the level of spermatogonia might be due to functional impairment of the associated Sertoli cells, which have maintained or regained an undifferentiated state and are not able to initiate or trigger the process of spermatogonial differentiation.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aumüller G, Peter ST (1986) Immunohistochemical and ultrastructural study of Sertoli cells in androgen insensitivity. Int J Androl 9:99–108
Aumüller G, Fuhrmann W, Krause W (1987) Spermatogenetic arrest with inhibition of acrosome and sperm tail development. Andrologia 19:9–17
Aumüller G, Steinbrück M, Krause W, Wagner H-J (1988) Distribution of vimentin-type intermediate filaments in Sertoli cells of the human testis, normal and pathologic. Anat Embryol 178:129–136
Aumüller G, Schulze C, Viehbahn C (1992) Intermediate filaments in Sertoli cells. Microsc Res Tech 20:50–72
Bergh A, Cajander S (1990) Immunohistochemical localization of inhibin alpha in the testes of normal men and in men with testicular disorders. Int J Androl 13:463–469
Bergmann M, Nieschlag E (1992) Untersuchungen zum Zusammenhang zwischen testikulärer FSH- und Inhibin Immunreaktiviät und Plasma-FSH infertiler Männer. Ann Anat 174[Suppl]:137
Bergmann M, Schleicher G, Böcker R, Nieschlag E (1989) True hermaphroditism with bilateral ovotestis: a case report. Int J Androl 12:139–147
Bruning G, Dierichs R, Stümpel C, Bergmann M (1993) Sertoli cell nuclear changes in human testicular biopsies as revealed by three dimensional reconstruction. Andrologia 25:311–316
Cordell JL, Falini B, Erber WN, Ghosh AK, Abdulaziz Z, Mac-Donald S, Pulford KAF, Stein H, Mason DY (1984) Immunoenzymatic labelling of monoclonal antibodies using immune complexes of alkaline phosphatase and monoclonal anti-alkaline phosphatase (APAAP) complexes. J Histochem Cytochem 32:219–229
De Kretser DM, Kerr JB (1988) The cytology of the testis. In: Knobil E, Neill J Ewing LL, Greenwald GS, Markert CL, Pfaff DW (eds) The physiology of reproduction. Raven Press, New York, pp 837–931
De Kretser DM, Kerr JB, Paulsen CA (1981) Evaluation of the ultrastructural changes in the human Sertoli cell in testicular disorders and the relationship of the changes to the levels of serum FSH. Int J Androl 4:129–144
Foresta C, Caretto A, Varotto A, Rossato M, Scandellari C (1991) Epidermal growth facor receptors (EGFR) localization in human testis. Arch Androl 27:17–24
Francavilla, Cordeschi G, Properzi G, Concordia N, Cappa F, Pozzi V (1990) Ultrastructure of fetal human gonad before sexual differentiation and during early testicular and ovarian development. J Submicrosc Cytol Pathol 22:389–400
Franke WW, Grund C, Schmidt E (1979) Intermediate-sized filaments present in Sertoli cells are of the vimentin type. Eur J Cell Biol 19:269–275
Giwercman A, Cantell L, Marks A (1991) Placental-like alkaline phosphatase as a marker of carcinoma-in situ of the testis — comparison with monoclonal antibody-M2A and antibody-43–9F. APMIS 99:586–594
Grootenhuis AJ, Steebergen J, Timmerman MA, Dorsman ANRD, Shaaper WMM, Meloen RM, Jong FM de (1989) Activin. J Endocrinol 122:293–301
Guillou F, Monet-Kunz C, Fontaine I, Flechon JE (1990) Expression of fetal-type intermediate filaments by 17-day old rat Sertoli cells cultured on reconstituted basement membrane. Cell Tissue Res 260:395–401
Hadziselimovic F (1977) Cryptorchidism. Ultrastructure of normal and cryptorchid testis development. Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 53:1–50
Holmes SD, Lipshultz LI, Smith RG (1984) Regulation of transferrin secretion by human Sertoli cells cultured in the presence or absence of human peritubular cells. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 59:1058–1062
Holstein AF, Schirren C (1983) Histological evidence of testicular biopsies. In: Schirren C, Holstein AF (eds) Fortschritte der Andrologie, vol 8. Grosse, Berlin, pp 108–117
Holstein AF, Roosen-Runge EC, Schirren C (1988) Illustrated pathology of human spermatogenesis. Grosse, Berlin
Martin-du Pan RC, Campana A (1993) Physiopathology of spermatogenic arrest. Fertil Steril 60:937–949
Miettinen M, Virtanen I, Talerman A (1985) Intermediate filament proteins in human testis and testicular germ-cell tumors. Am J Pathol 120:402–410
Nistal M, Paniagua R, Abaurrea MA, Santamaria L (1982) Hyperplasia and the immature appearance of Sertoli cells in primary testicular disorders. Hum Pathol 13:3–12
Nistal M, Jimenez KM, Paniagua R (1990) Sertoli cell types in the Sertoli-cell-only syndrome: relationships between Sertoli cell morphology and aetiology. Histopathology 16:173–180
Paranko J, Kallajoki M, Pelliniemi LJ, Lehto V-P, Virtanen I (1986) Transient coexpression of cytokeratin and vimentin in differentiating rat Sertoli cells. Dev Biol 117:35–44
Pelliniemi LJ, Fröjdman K, Paranko J (1993) Embryological and prenatal development and function of Sertoli cells. In: Russell LD, Griswold MD (eds) The Sertoli cell. Cache River Press, Clearwater, pp 87–114
Pollänen P, Parvinen M, Söder O (1989) Interleukin-1α stimulation of spermatogonial proliferation in vivo. Reprod Fertil Dev 1:85–87
Rich KA, De Kretser DM (1977) Effect of differing degrees of destruction of the rat seminiferous epithelium on levels of serum follicle stimulating hormone and androgen binding protein. Endocrinology 101:959–968
Russell LD (1993) Morphological and functional evidence for Sertoli-germ cell relationships. In: Russell LD, Griswold MD (eds) The Sertoli cell. Cache River Press, Clearwater, pp 365–390
Schulze C (1984) Sertoli cells and Leydig cells in man. Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol 88:1–104
Schulze C (1988) Response of the human testis to long-term estrogen treatment: morphology of Sertoli cells, Leydig cells and spermatogonial stem cells. Cell Tissue Res 251:31–43
Schulze C, Holstein AF (1993) Human Sertoli cells under pathological conditions. In: Russell LD, Griswold MD (eds) The Sertoli cell. Cache River Press, Clearwater, pp 597–610
Segretain D, Egloff M, Gérard N, Pineau C, Jégou B (1992) Receptor-mediated and adsorptive endocytosis by male germ cells of different mammalian species. Cell Tissue Res 268:471–478
Sharpe RM (1993) Experimental evidence for Sertoli-germ cell and Sertoli-Leydig cell interactions. In: Russell LD, Griswold MD (eds) The Sertoli cell. Cache River Press, Clearwater, pp 391–430
Skinner MK (1993) Secretion of growth factors and other regulatory factors. In: Russell LD, Griswold MD (eds) The Sertoli cell. Cache River Press, Clearwater, pp 237–248
Soosay GN, Bobrow L, Happerfield L, Parkinson MC (1991) Morphology and immunohistochemistry of carcinoma in situ adjacent to testicular germ cell tumors in adults and children — implications for histogenesis. Histopathology 19:537–544
Stosiek P, Kasper M, Karsten U (1990) Expression of cytokeratins 8 and 18 in human Sertoli cells of immature and atrophie seminiferous tubules. Differentiation 43:66–70
Syed V, Söder O, Arver S, Lindh M, Khan S, Ritzen EM (1988) Ontogeny and cellular origin of an interleukin-1-like factor in the reproductive tract of the male rat. Int J Androl 11:437–447
Terada T, Hatekayama S (1991) Morphological evidence of two types of idiopathic Sertoli Cell Only Syndrome. Int J Androl 14:108–116
WHO (1992) Laboratory manual for the examination of human semen and semencervical mucus interaction, 3rd edn. World Health Organization, Cambridge University Press
Woodruff TK, Borre J, Attie KM, Cox ET, Rice GC, Mather JP (1992) Stage-specific binding of inhibin and activin to subpopulations of rat germ cells. Endocrinology 130:871–881
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Bergmann, M., Kliesch, S. The distribution pattern of cytokeratin and vimentin immunoreactivity in testicular biopsies of infertile men. Anat Embryol 190, 515–520 (1994). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00190101
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00190101