Development of Sertoli cells during mini-puberty in normal and cryptorchid testes

Only a few studies have dealt with quantitative changes of Sertoli cells during human development, and the results of these studies are conflicting. Our hypothesis is that the development of Sertoli cells during mini-puberty follows the same pattern as germ cells.

We examined the biopsies of cryptorchid and normal testes from patients aged 1-12 months. Fifty complete, rounded tubules were examined and the number of Sertoli cells per tubule was determined. We compared the numbers in cryptorchid and normal testes, as well as the average number of Sertoli cells in each age group separately.

The number of Sertoli cells per tubule in the cryptorchid testes of patients aged 1-4 months was 22.38 +/- 1.01 compared to cryptorchid patients aged 5-12 months (23.20 +/- 1.41). This number in patients with spontaneously descended testes aged 1-4 months was 23.53 +/- 1.98, while this number in the same group of patients aged 5-12 months was 26.20 +/- 1.40. The difference between the two age groups was statistically significant (p < 0.001, two-tailed test).

Our results suggest the number of Sertoli cells increases with the hormonal surge. In cryptorchid patients, the number of Sertoli cells is diminished compared to the normal testis.