Insufficient androgen and FSH signaling may be responsible for the azoospermia of the infantile primate testes despite exposure to an adult-like hormonal milieu.

ABSTRACT:

Background

In humans, as well as in other higher primates, the infantile testis is exposed to an adult-like hormonal milieu, but spermatogenesis is not initiated at this stage of primate development. In the present study, we examined the molecular basis of this intriguing infertile state of the primate testis.

Methods

The integrity of androgen receptor (AR) and FSH receptor (FSHR) signaling pathways in primary cultures of Sertoli cells (Scs) harvested from azoospermic infant and spermatogenic pubertal monkey testes were investigated under identical in vitro hormonal conditions. In order to synchronously harvest Scs from early pubertal testis, the activation of testicular puberty was timed experimentally by prematurely initiating gonadotrophin secretion in juvenile animals wi

SUBMITTER: Majumdar SS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3398678 | biostudies-literature | 2012 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature