The capacity of testicular cells of the postnatal rat to reorganize into histotypic structures.

Cell reorganization experiments in vitro were performed with dissociated rat testes at different ages of postnatal development namely, newborn, 8-10, 18-25, 35-40, and 90 days. Only newborn and juvenile rat testicular cells reassociated into testicular-like organization in rotation culture. Puberal and adult rat testicular cells show morphogenetic organization when they were deprived or germ cells by busulphan pretreatment. A factor present in testicular tissue of puberal and adult rats inhibits reorganization. The inhibitor is confined to the spermatic cell fraction in the testis.