Seidl K, Holstein A F
Institute for Hormone and Fertility Research (IHF), Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany.
Cell Tissue Res. 1990 Sep;261(3):549-54. doi: 10.1007/BF00313534.
Nerve growth factor (NGF) affects morphology and function of isolated and cultured seminiferous tubules from human testis. Quantitative determination of this neurotrophic protein revealed an amount of 5.4 ng per g human testis, suggesting a crucial function of NGF in spermatogenic tissue. With the use of immunohistochemical methods target cells for NGF were identified within the lamina propria. NGF receptors were also visualized on sympathetic nerve fibers crossing the interstitial compartment among adjacent tubules and spatially correlated blood vessels. NGF receptors could be demonstrated on isolated lamina-propria cells even after 2 weeks of culture. Most of the NGF receptor-bearing cells differed from myoid cells of the lamina propria expressing desmin, a marker for smooth muscle. However, some NGF receptor-expressing cells were found sharing morphological and structural similarities with myoid cells. The present data indicate the existence of a NGF-responsive lamina-propria cell that influences the tubular wall and also the seminiferous epithelium.
神经生长因子（NGF）影响人睾丸分离培养的生精小管的形态和功能。对这种神经营养蛋白的定量测定显示，每克人睾丸中含有5.4纳克，这表明NGF在生精组织中具有关键作用。利用免疫组织化学方法，在固有层内鉴定出了NGF的靶细胞。在穿过相邻小管间间质区的交感神经纤维以及与之空间相关的血管上也观察到了NGF受体。即使在培养2周后，在分离的固有层细胞上也能证明有NGF受体。大多数携带NGF受体的细胞与表达结蛋白（一种平滑肌标志物）的固有层肌样细胞不同。然而，发现一些表达NGF受体的细胞与肌样细胞在形态和结构上有相似之处。目前的数据表明存在一种对NGF有反应的固有层细胞，它会影响管壁以及生精上皮。
