Arrighi S
Department of Health, Animal Science and Food Safety, Laboratory of Anatomy, Università degli Studi di Milano, 2, Via Trentacoste, I-20134, Milano, Italy. Email:
Reprod Fertil Dev. 2014 Oct;26(8):1061-71. doi: 10.1071/RD13301.
Basal cells are present in the columnar pseudostratified epithelium covering the epididymis of all mammalian species, which regulates the microenvironment where the functionally incompetent germ cells produced by the testis are matured and stored. Striking novelties have come from investigations on epididymal basal cells in the past 30-40 years. In addition to an earlier hypothesised scavenger role for basal cells, linked to their proven extratubular origin and the expression of macrophage antigens, basal cells have been shown to be involved in cell-cell cross-talk, as well as functioning as luminal sensors to regulate the activity of principal and clear cells. Involvement of basal cells in the regulation of electrolyte and water transport by principal cells was hypothesised. This control is suggested to be mediated by the local formation of prostaglandins. Members of the aquaporin (AQP) and/or aquaglyceroporin family (AQP3, AQP7 and AQP8) are also specifically expressed in the rat epididymal basal cells. Transport of glycerol and glycerylphosphorylcholine from the epithelium of the epididymis to the lumen in relation to sperm maturation may be mediated by AQP. Most probably basal cells collaborate to the building up of the blood-epididymis barrier through cell adhesion molecules, implying an involvement in immune control exerted towards sperm cells, which are foreigners in the environment in which they were produced.
基底细胞存在于覆盖所有哺乳动物附睾的柱状假复层上皮中，该上皮调节着睾丸产生的功能不全的生殖细胞成熟和储存的微环境。在过去30到40年里，对附睾基底细胞的研究有了惊人的新发现。除了早期假设的基底细胞的清除作用，这与其已证实的管外起源和巨噬细胞抗原的表达有关外，基底细胞还被证明参与细胞间的相互作用，并作为管腔传感器来调节主细胞和透明细胞的活性。有人假设基底细胞参与主细胞对电解质和水运输的调节。这种控制被认为是由前列腺素的局部形成介导的。水通道蛋白（AQP）和/或水甘油通道蛋白家族（AQP3、AQP7和AQP8）的成员也在大鼠附睾基底细胞中特异性表达。甘油和甘油磷酸胆碱从附睾上皮向管腔的运输与精子成熟有关，可能由水通道蛋白介导。基底细胞很可能通过细胞粘附分子协助建立血附睾屏障，这意味着它们参与了对精子细胞的免疫控制，精子细胞在其产生的环境中是外来物。
