Pyruvate and lactate production by cultured Sertoli cells, fibroblasts and muscle satellite cells, and the effect of hormonal and dcAMP stimulation.

Isolated male germ cells survive in culture if medium is supplemented with adequate energy substrates such as lactate or pyruvate. The purpose of the present study was to investigate if cultured Sertoli cells release in the medium lactate or pyruvate and if this production is affected by FSH or dcAMP treatment. We have also studied if the ability to produce lactate and pyruvate is shared by other cell types. The results show that 1) the two metabolites are released from germ-cell-free rat Sertoli cell monolayers, and their release is stimulated by hormone or dcAMP 2) other cell types of mesodermic origin release more lactate and pyruvate than Sertoli cells, but are not stimulated by FSH or dcAMP.