CNRS Université de Tours Haras Nationaux, Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, France.
Poult Sci. 2011 Jun;90(6):1276-86. doi: 10.3382/ps.2010-01081.
In the testis, Sertoli cells play a key physiological role in that they support, nourish, and protect germ cells. Because of the importance of Sertoli cells, several laboratories have established a culture system of Sertoli cells. These cultures have been well developed in mammalian species, but to our knowledge no purified avian Sertoli cells culture has been described. The aim of this study was to isolate avian Sertoli cells and to investigate their function using a chicken model in an in vitro test system. Immature chicken Sertoli cells in culture present morphology similar to that of mammalian cells and conserve expression of the specific Sertoli marker, anti-Müllerian hormone. Furthermore, in contrast to mammals, they express the 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase enzyme. Stimulation of Sertoli cells with ovine follicle-stimulating hormone rapidly activates the 3 main downstream signaling pathways of the follicle-stimulating hormone receptor: cyclic( )adenosine monophosphate/protein kinase A, phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/Akt, and mitogen-activated protein kinase pathways. In vitro, Sertoli cells are able to secrete lactate and inhibin and have conserved the phagocytosis property. Finally, avian Sertoli cells present 3 interesting characteristics: they actively proliferate in vitro, can be passaged several times, and are suitable for freezing in nitrogen. A direct consequence of these properties is to use this cell culture test system as an alternative method to bird reprotoxicity studies.
在睾丸中，支持细胞发挥着关键的生理作用，它们支持、滋养和保护生殖细胞。由于支持细胞的重要性，几个实验室已经建立了支持细胞的培养体系。这些培养体系在哺乳动物物种中得到了很好的发展，但据我们所知，还没有描述过纯化的禽类支持细胞培养。本研究的目的是分离禽类支持细胞，并利用鸡模型在体外测试系统中研究它们的功能。培养中的未成熟鸡支持细胞呈现出与哺乳动物细胞相似的形态，并保留了特定的支持细胞标志物抗缪勒管激素的表达。此外，与哺乳动物不同的是，它们表达 3β-羟甾脱氢酶。用绵羊促卵泡激素刺激支持细胞会迅速激活促卵泡激素受体的 3 个主要下游信号通路：环（ ）腺苷酸/蛋白激酶 A、磷脂酰肌醇 3-激酶/Akt 和丝裂原激活蛋白激酶通路。在体外，支持细胞能够分泌乳酸和抑制素，并保留吞噬作用。最后，禽类支持细胞具有 3 个有趣的特点：它们在体外能够积极增殖，能够多次传代，并且适合在液氮中冷冻。这些特性的直接结果是将这种细胞培养测试系统用作鸟类生殖毒性研究的替代方法。
