Organ Culture of Mammalian Testis

Abstract

Mouse testes were cultured for 19-20 days at either 31 or 37.degree. C with a change of medium every 4 days. After treatment with charcoal and dextran T, the recovered testis media were incubated with rat anterior pituitary cells and secretions of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) were estimated by radioimmunoassay 3 days later. FSH release was significantly lowered when pituitary cells were grown with media of testes cultured at 31.degree. C compared to cultures grown with fresh medium or with media of testes cultured at 37.degree. C for more than 4 days. LH secretion was normal in one experiment and reduced in the other with the media of testes cultured at 31.degree. C. Treatment of testicular media by heat or trypsin reduced the inhibiting activity. After 8 days at 37.degree. C, both germinal and Sertoli cells were damaged in the testis cultures. While at 31.degree. C germinal cells alone were destroyed, Sertoli cells remained normal. A substance which responds to the definition of inhibin (protein, preferentially acting on FSH) is apparently secreted in the medium of testis culture; inhibin is produced by Sertoli cells; inhibin is secreted only if the temperature is < 37.degree. C.