[The effects of optical isomers of gossypol on Sertoli cells in vitro]

This study was designed to investigate the effects of gossypol optical isomers on Sertoli cells of 20-day-old Wistar rats in vitro. The dosages used were 10 micrograms/ml of (+/-) and (+) gossypol and 5 micrograms/ml (-) gossypol. After 24 h in culture, we found that different optical isomers induced different degrees of morphological changes in Sertoli cells. The changes in mitochondria were obvious. It was shown that the activity of SDH in mitochondria was reduced, or some enzymatic granules became coarser, after gossypol treatment. Under EM we found that the mitochondria had become swollen, the cristae were arranged irregularly, or even broken or absent. The damage caused by the different optical isomers on Sertoli cells was in the order of (+) < (+/-) < (-) gossypol. These changes coincided with changes in Sertoli cells of rats following oral administration of gossypol.