Cytochemical and biochemical characterization of testicular peritubular myoid cells

Testicular peritubular myoid cells secrete a paracrine factor that is a potent modulator of Sertoli cell functions involved in the maintenance of spermatogenesis. These cells also play an integral role in maintaining the structural integrity of the seminiferous tubule. To better understand this important testicular cell type, studies were initiated to characterize cultured peritubular cells using biochemical and histochemical techniques. The electrophoretic pattern of radiolabeled secreted proteins was similar for primary and subcultured peritubular cells and was unique from that of Sertoli cells. Morphologic differences between Sertoli cells and peritubular cells were noted and extended with histochemical staining techniques. Desmin cytoskeletal filaments were demonstrated immunocytochemically in peritubular cells, both in culture and in tissue sections, but were not detected in Sertoli cells. Desmin is proposed to be a marker for peritubular cell differentiation as well as a marker for peritubular cell contamination in Sertoli cell cultures. Peritubular cells and Sertoli cells were also stained histochemically for the presence of alkaline phosphatase. Staining for the alkaline phosphatase enzyme was associated with peritubular cells but not with Sertoli cells. Alkaline phosphatase is therefore an additional histochemical marker for peritubular cells. Biochemical characterization of peritubular cells relied on cell-specific enzymatic activities. Creatine phosphokinase activity, a marker for contractile cells, was found to be associated with peritubular cells, while negligible activity was associated with Sertoli cells. Alkaline phosphatase activity assayed spectrophotometrically was found to be a useful biochemical marker for peritubular cell function and was utilized to determine the responsiveness of primary and subcultured cells to regulatory agents. Testosterone stimulated alkaline phosphatase activity associated with primary cultures of peritubular cells, thus supporting the observation that peritubular cells provide a site of androgen action in the testis. Retinol increased alkaline phosphatase activity in subcultured peritubular cells. Alkaline phosphatase activity increased in response to dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate (AMP) in both primary and subcultured peritubular cell cultures. Observations indicate that the ability of androgens and retinoids to regulate testicular function may be mediated, in part, through their effects on peritubular cells. This provides additional support for the proposal that the mesenchymal-epithelial cell interactions between peritubular cells and Sertoli cells are important for the maintenance and control of testicular function. Results imply that the endocrine regulation of tissue function may be mediated in part through alterations in mesenchymal-epithelial cell interactions.