Structural manifestations of the rat Sertoli cell to hypophysectomy: a correlative morphometric and endocrine study

Although the Sertoli cell is a key cell mediating the actions of FSH- and LH-stimulated testosterone (T) in the testis, there is little information to indicate how this cell responds structurally to hormonal insufficiency. The present study used morphometric techniques to study the structural manifestations of the Sertoli cell in adult rats hypophysectomized for 6 and 28 days. Six days posthypophysectomy, a period when germ cell degeneration is first evident, tubular diameter and length, testis weights, volume of the interstitium, and volume of most parameters that comprise the interstitium (except blood vessels) showed significant regressive features. However, virtually no parameter relating to the volume and surface area of the Sertoli cell or its subcellular components was significantly reduced compared with that in the normal animal. Thus, at a time when germ cell degeneration is seen in the testis, the Sertoli cell showed no significant structural response to the changing endocrine status of the animal. In contrast, 28 days after hypophysectomy, virtually all parameters relating to the Sertoli cell and its organelles were significantly decreased compared with those in normal animals. Plasma and tissue testosterone, PRL, and FSH showed a very significant decrease 6 days after hypophysectomy compared with intact animals, but at 28 days there was no further significant decrease in the levels of these hormones. There was no correlation of most organelle volumes and surface areas with endocrine parameters. The size of the Sertoli cell showed positive and significant correlations with the volumes and surface areas of all of its cytoplasmic organelles, except the lipid volume. Short term hypophysectomy resulted in no significant change in either the concentration (femtomoles per mg protein) or the content (femtomoles per testis) of FSH receptors, nor was there a significant change in the number of FSH receptors per cell. However, 28 days after hypophysectomy only the content, not the concentration, of FSH receptors decreased significantly along with a decrease in the number of FSH receptors per cell. Although the marked degenerative changes that are seen in the testis 6 days after hypophysectomy parallel endocrine decline, the Sertoli cell responded slowly from a structural standpoint compared with the Leydig cell. After long term hypophysectomy, significant morphometric changes were observed in all of its structural parameters.