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Redundancy of the effect of TGFβ1 and β‐NGF on the second meiotic division of rat spermatocytes
Author(s) -
Perrard MarieHélène,
Durand Philippe
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
microscopy research and technique
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.536
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1097-0029
pISSN - 1059-910X
DOI - 10.1002/jemt.20706
Subject(s) - nerve growth factor , meiosis , sertoli cell , biology , microbiology and biotechnology , metaphase , spermatid , spermatogenesis , medicine , endocrinology , andrology , genetics , chromosome , receptor , gene
We have previously shown that in cocultures of late pachytene/diplotene spermatocytes (PS/DS) with Sertoli cells, β‐nerve growth factor (β‐NGF) or transforming growth factor (TGFβ1) regulates the second meiotic division by blocking secondary spermatocytes in metaphase II, and thereby lowers round spermatid formation. In this study, we raised the question if β‐NGF and TGFβ1 have additional or redundant effects on this step. Hence, we addressed the effect of β‐NGF in combination with TGFβ1, as compared to those of β‐NGF or TGFβ1 separately, on the completion of meiosis by rat late PS/DS. Identification and counting of meiotic cells were performed by cytological methods. Under our culture conditions, some late PS/DS differentiated into round spermatids. When β‐NGF in combination with TGFβ1 was added to the culture medium, the numbers of PS/DS and of secondary spermatocytes were not modified by the treatment. By contrast, the number of round spermatids was about 2‐fold lower in treated cultures than in basal cultures, and an increase in metaphase II, but not metaphase I, over basal values was observed. Similar results were found when either β‐NGF or TGFβ1 was added to the culture medium. These results indicate a redundancy between β‐NGF and TGFβ1 on the negative regulation of the second meiotic division of rat spermatocytes. This suggests that β‐NGF and TGFβ1 share some common pathway of regulation of this step. In addition, these results reinforce the view that the adjustment of the number of round spermatids supported by Sertoli cells is a key event of the spermatogenic process. Microsc. Res. Tech., 2009. © 2009 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.