TY - JOUR
T1 - Ontogenesis of the nuclear 3,5,3′-triiodothyronine receptor in the rat testis
AU - Jannini, Emmanuele A.
AU - Olivieri, Michele
AU - Francavilla, Sandro
AU - Gulino, Alberto
AU - Ziparo, Elio
AU - D'Armiento, Massimino
PY - 1990/5
Y1 - 1990/5
N2 - The aim of this study was to investigate the ontogenesis of the nuclear T3 receptor among the different cell types in the rat testis from fetuses at the 19th day of gestation and animals 1, 5, 15, 20, and 60 days after birth. Whole testis, tubular fraction, nontubular fractions, and Sertoli cells cultured in vitro or enriched in vivo by irradiation were used. The results demonstrate that high affinity, low capacity T3-binding sites are localized only in Sertoli cells; the binding specificity and affinity (Kd ranges from 0.8 ± 0.2 to 2.6 ± 0.4 nM) do not change significantly with the age of the animals and are comparable to those observed for T3 receptors in other mammalian tissues. In the whole testis, the concentration of receptors changes during gonadal development, being maximally expressed in the fetus (154.3 ± 8.1 fg T3 bound/106 nuclei) and from 1 (203.4 ± 10.9 fg T3 bound/106 nuclei) to 5 (185.3 ± 15.1 fg T3 bound/106 nuclei) days of postnatal life, decreasing significantly at 15 and 20 days (65.4 ± 2.0 and 57.9 ± 1.9 fg T3 bound/106 nuclei, respectively) and being virtually absent in the adult. The same change in receptor concentration was found in Sertoli cells obtained by different techniques. This ontogenetic profile coincides with the pattern of Sertoli cell proliferation and differentiation, thus suggesting a role of thyroid hormones in the regulation of growth and maturation of the somatic cells of the seminiferous epithelium.
AB - The aim of this study was to investigate the ontogenesis of the nuclear T3 receptor among the different cell types in the rat testis from fetuses at the 19th day of gestation and animals 1, 5, 15, 20, and 60 days after birth. Whole testis, tubular fraction, nontubular fractions, and Sertoli cells cultured in vitro or enriched in vivo by irradiation were used. The results demonstrate that high affinity, low capacity T3-binding sites are localized only in Sertoli cells; the binding specificity and affinity (Kd ranges from 0.8 ± 0.2 to 2.6 ± 0.4 nM) do not change significantly with the age of the animals and are comparable to those observed for T3 receptors in other mammalian tissues. In the whole testis, the concentration of receptors changes during gonadal development, being maximally expressed in the fetus (154.3 ± 8.1 fg T3 bound/106 nuclei) and from 1 (203.4 ± 10.9 fg T3 bound/106 nuclei) to 5 (185.3 ± 15.1 fg T3 bound/106 nuclei) days of postnatal life, decreasing significantly at 15 and 20 days (65.4 ± 2.0 and 57.9 ± 1.9 fg T3 bound/106 nuclei, respectively) and being virtually absent in the adult. The same change in receptor concentration was found in Sertoli cells obtained by different techniques. This ontogenetic profile coincides with the pattern of Sertoli cell proliferation and differentiation, thus suggesting a role of thyroid hormones in the regulation of growth and maturation of the somatic cells of the seminiferous epithelium.
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M3 - Article
C2 - 2328695
AN - SCOPUS:0025358141
VL - 126
SP - 2521
EP - 2526
JO - Endocrinology
JF - Endocrinology
SN - 0013-7227
IS - 5
ER -