Blood-testis barrier in men with idiopathic hypogonadotropic eunuchoidism and postpuberal pituiary failure.
Immature-type Sertoli cells in the testes of idiopathic hypogonadotropic eunuchoidism (17-30 years of age) had no specialized junctions. The specialized Sertoli junctions that blocked the penetration of lanthanum were formed six months to two years after hCG treatment (5000 IU twice a week) in patients of hypogonadotropic eunuchoidism. In two patients with postpubertal pituitary failure (one had a ectopic pinealoma, irradiated one year ago, and the other had a pituitary adenoma, hypophysectomized four years ago), the ultrastructural integrity of these Sertoli junctions was maintained. Therefore, it may be suggested that the development of the blood-testis barrier is dependent on gonadotropins, but the maintenance of the blood-testis barrier is not.
D000236:Adenoma / Q000503:physiopathology; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001814:Blood-Testis Barrier; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005058:Eunuchism / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D007006:Hypogonadism / Q000503:physiopathology*; D007248:Infertility, Male / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D010871:Pinealoma / Q000503:physiopathology; D010900:Pituitary Diseases / Q000503:physiopathology*; D010911:Pituitary Neoplasms / Q000503:physiopathology; D011627:Puberty; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000473:pathology
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin