Control of levels of plasminogen activator activity secreted by Sertoli cells maintained in a two-chamber assembly.

Sertoli cells (SC), plated onto an extracellular matrix-coated membrane mounted in a two-chambered assembly, secrete both transferrin and plasminogen activator (PA) into each chamber. Although transferrin concentrations are greatest in the inner chamber, concentrations of PA activities in the outer chamber are equal to or higher than those in the inner chamber. These data indicate that transferrin and PA are preferentially secreted in different directions. The addition of FSH or cAMP derivatives stimulates the formation and secretion of tissue-type PA. Addition of FSH enhances the polarized secretion of PA into the outer chamber, as measured by elevated ratios of outer to inner compartment PA concentrations. Ratios of PA to transferrin concentrations in the outer compartment are also increased in FSH-treated preparations, demonstrating that the differential secretion of the two products is enhanced by FSH. We interpret these data to indicate that polarized SC preferentially secrete transferrin apically while preferentially secreting PA basally, and that FSH augments this polarity of SC maintained in the two-chamber assembly. The addition of peritubular cells to the system results in decreased levels of total PA activity, with greatest diminution evident in the outer compartment. Data are consistent with previous observations that peritubular cells decrease PA activity by secreting a specific inhibitor of PA. Measurements of relative amounts of transferrin and PA secreted into inner and outer chambers, respectively, provide a means to evaluate the tightness of the seminiferous tubule barrier in the model system and the extent of polarized secretion by SC in the two-chambered assembly.