Sertoli Cells Maintain Leydig Cell Number and Peritubular Myoid Cell Activity in the Adult Mouse Testis
Figure 5
The PTMC/basement membrane inhibits immune cell infiltration of seminiferous tubules.
(A) Biotin is prevented from entering the adluminal compartment by the Blood-Testis-Barrier in control animals. Conversely, 30 days post Sertoli cell ablation at pnd50, and despite the continued presence of the PTMC layer, biotin penetrates throughout the intratubular space. MgCl2: vehicle control. (B) Immunolocalization of macrophages (GFP) at 30 days following ablation at pnd50 using Amh-Cre+/+;iDTR+/+;CSFR-GFP mice (GFP antibody) shows that very few tubules are infiltrated by macrophages (red arrowhead). Macrophages are mainly present in the interstitium (arrow) or surrounding tubules (white arrowhead). (C) Sections from resinembeded testis highlighting the rare intra-tubular macrophage infiltration (asterisks). (D) Relative expression of the inflammatory cytokine Tnfa at key ages following Sertoli cell ablation at pnd50 (one-way ANOVA n = 5–9, **P<0.01) (scale bar: 100 µm). d,days; yr,year; dtx, injected with toxin; veh: vehicle control.