title: Insulin-like growth factor-I and transforming growth factor-alpha stimulate differentiation of type A spermatogonia in organ culture of adult mouse cryptorchid testes.
abstract: This study assessed the effect of growth factors on testicular germ cell differentiation in vitro. Testicular fragments of experimentally prepared cryptorchid testes of adult mice were cultured for 9 days in serum-free media containing various concentrations of IGF-I, TGF-alpha, FGF, and PDGF. Their histology was then examined under a light microscope. Each type of germ cell and mitotic cell in the seminiferous tubules was counted per 1000 Sertoli cells. IGF-I at a concentration of 10 ng/ml induced maximal differentiation of type A spermatogonia. TGF-alpha at concentrations ranging from 1 to 10 ng/ml also stimulated differentiation, whereas FGF and PDGF did not show any stimulation of spermatogonial differentiation in this experimental system.
authors.affiliation: Research Institute for Microbial Diseases, Osaka University, Japan.
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Koshimizu
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuzawa
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Nishimune
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003456:Cryptorchidism / Q000473:pathology; D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D046508:Culture Techniques; D006801:Humans; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I / Q000494:pharmacology*; D008297:Male; D051379:Mice; D008810:Mice, Inbred C57BL; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects*; D013093:Spermatogonia / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D016895:Culture Media, Serum-Free; D016211:Transforming Growth Factor alpha; D007334:Insulin-Like Growth Factor I