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Updated: Feb 14, 2026

A Proximal Culture Method to Study Paracrine Signaling Between Cells
Published on: August 28, 2018
Leydig cell insufficiency in hypospermatogenesis: a paracrine effect of activin-inhibin signaling?
S J Winters1, J P Moore1, B J Clark1
1Division of Endocrinology, Metabolism and Diabetes, Department of Anatomical Sciences and Neurobiology and Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.
Abstract:
Clinical findings and a variety of experimental models indicate that Leydig cell dysfunction accompanies damage to the seminiferous tubules with increasing severity. Most studies support the idea that intratesticular signaling from the seminiferous tubules to Leydig cells regulates steroidogenesis, which is disrupted when hypospermatogenesis occurs. Sertoli cells seem to play a pivotal role in this process. In this review, we summarize relevant clinical and experimental observations and present evidence to support the hypothesis that testicular activin signaling and its regulation by testicular inhibin may link seminiferous tubular dysfunction to reduced testosterone biosynthesis.
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