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EXPRESSION OF NEURON SPECIFIC ENOLASE IN FOETAL TESTIS POSTER Mirela Vranić, D. Šklebar, V. Kozina, Ž. Punčec, Lj. Banek, D. Ježek University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia Šalata 3, HR-10000 Zagreb, phone/fax: +385 1 45 90 251 ; mirelavranic@yahoo.com Aim. It has been shown that adult human testes (Leydig cells in particular) express a number of neuroendocrine markers, and, therefore, could be considered as a part of the neuroendocrine system in the adult. The data on the neuroendocrine cells within the developing human testis are still rare. Therefore, the aim of our study was to investigate the development of human foetal testes in different weeks of gestation (wg) and to check if some cell types express certain markers characteristic of the diffuse neuroendocrine system (DNS). Materials and methods. A total of 39 human foetal testicles from 15 to 36 wg were used in the study. The tissue samples were obtained during the routine paedopathological section of miscarried children during 1994 (approved by the Ethical Committee of Clinic for Gynaecology and Obstetrics, Clinical Hospital Centre “ Zagreb” ). The samples were fixed in Bouin’ s fluid, dehydrated and embedded in paraffin. Paraffin blocks were cut extensively in order to provide sections for hematoxylin and eosin (H+E), and immunohistochemical staining (IHC). Monoclonal antibodies to NSE (1:100) in combination with an appropriate EnVision kit (Dako, Glostrup, Denmark) were applied. Results. At early stages of development (15-17 gw) immunohistochemical reactions for the expression of neuron specific enolase (NSE) were positive within sex cords and between them, in the interstitum. Pro-spermatogonia in the sex cords were positive, as well as elongated spindle-shaped cells of the interstitum (very likely, precursors of Leydig cells). During the later stages of development (28-36 wg), excluding the pro-spermatogonia, the interstitial Leydig cells were also positive. Conclusion. The results of the immunohistochemical analyses (the expression of NSE) confirmed the hypothesis that human foetal Leydig cells were of neuroendocrine nature. The strong expression of NSE in pro-spermatogonia proves the pluripotent characteristics of these cells. |
