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Updated: Aug 5, 2026
Isolation of Sertoli Cells and Peritubular Cells from Rat Testes
Published on: February 8, 2016
[Development of peritubular myoid cells in the rat testis]
J Posinovec1, L Banek, B Kablar
1Zavod za histologiju i embriologiju Medicinskog fakulteta Sveucilista u Zagrebu.
Abstract:
In the testes of 47 embryos, fetuses and newborn rats (Fisher strain), until the 15th day of life, the appearance and numerical dynamics of "premyoid" and myoid cells were analysed by light microscopy. The material was prepared routinely (fixed in Bouin fluid, embedded in paraffin, and cut to the thickness of 7 micrometers). The embryos of the 12th to 17th day of gestation were serially sectioned in toto, while fetal testes on the 18th to 21th day of gestation were removed and serially cut as well as the rat testes after birth. In each testis ten seminiferous tubules (cords) sectioned perpendicularly were analysed and only in two testes was it possible to find out nine but not ten perpendicularly sectioned tubules. Until the first week after birth, the lengthened cells that envelope tubules (cords) are called "premyoid". In the second half of the second week two types of lengthened cells in the envelope could be seen: one with a very thin, dark nucleus and the other with a lighter and thicker nucleus located peripherally, toward the interstitium. The former are considered myoid cells and the latter as fibroblasts. The numerical dynamics of "premyoid" and myoid cells evidently depends on the "pulsatile" effect of gondotropins. In the prenatal period, it was possible to see two increases in the number of these cells: on the 16th and on the 20th day.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Insights
The study tracks premyoid and myoid cell development in rat testes, revealing their numerical dynamics are influenced by pulsatile gonadotropins, with increases noted prenatally.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Developmental Biology
- Histology
Context:
- Testicular development in mammals is complex.
- Understanding the cellular dynamics of the testicular interstitium is crucial for reproductive health.
- The role of peritubular cells in early testicular development requires further elucidation.
Purpose:
- To analyze the appearance and numerical dynamics of premyoid and myoid cells in rat testes from embryonic stage to postnatal day 15.
- To correlate the observed cellular changes with the influence of gonadotropins.
Summary:
- Light microscopy was used to examine testes from 47 Fisher strain rat embryos, fetuses, and newborns.
- Premyoid cells, which envelop seminiferous tubules, differentiate into myoid cells and fibroblasts by the second week post-birth.
- Numerical increases in these cells were observed on gestational days 16 and 20, suggesting a pulsatile influence of gonadotropins.
Impact:
- Provides detailed insights into the early cellular differentiation within the testicular cords.
- Highlights the potential role of gonadotropin pulsatility in regulating testicular interstitial cell populations.
- Contributes to a foundational understanding of testicular development and potential factors affecting fertility.
