Evidence for Production and Functional Activity of Nitric Oxide in Seminiferous Tubules and Blood Vessels of the Human Testis1
| Autor: | Dieter Müller, S. Wichers, Ralf Middendorff, Michail S. Davidoff, Adolf F. Holstein |
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| Rok vydání: | 1997 |
| Předmět: |
medicine.medical_specialty
Endothelium Leydig cell urogenital system Endocrinology Diabetes and Metabolism Biochemistry (medical) Clinical Biochemistry Biology Endothelial NOS Sertoli cell Biochemistry chemistry.chemical_compound Endocrinology medicine.anatomical_structure Seminiferous tubule chemistry Internal medicine cardiovascular system medicine Soluble guanylyl cyclase Cyclic guanosine monophosphate Blood vessel |
| Zdroj: | The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism. 82:4154-4161 |
| ISSN: | 1945-7197 0021-972X |
| DOI: | 10.1210/jcem.82.12.4432 |
| Popis: | Previous studies have demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) influences Leydig cell function. Here we provide evidence for NO production and activity in seminiferous tubules and blood vessels of the human testis. By immunohistochemistry, the soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC), the intracellular NO receptor, and the second messenger, cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP), were detected in myofibroblasts of the peritubular lamina propria in Sertoli cells, as well as in endothelial and smooth muscle cells of testicular blood vessels. Performed with isolated tubules and blood vessels, the biological activity of sGC could be proved by cGMP generation in response to treatments with the NO donor, sodium nitroprusside. The endothelial and neuronal subtypes of NO synthase (NOS) were localized immunohistochemically to the same cell types that express sGC and cGMP. In isolated tubules and vessels, the presence of endothelial NOS and neuronal NOS was confirmed by immunoblotting, and NOS activity was demonstrated by decreased cGMP production upon incubation with the NOS inhibitor l-nitro arginine methylester. These findings show that peritubular cells, Sertoli cells, and testicular blood vessels may be sites of NO production and activity, possibly involved in relaxation of seminiferous tubules and blood vessels to modulate sperm transport and testicular blood flow, respectively. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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