title: [Fetal thymus and thymuline stimulate in vitro proliferation of gonocytes in the fetal testis in rats].
abstract: Testes from 13.5-day-old rat foetuses were cultured in vitro for 1 or 2 days: 1) in synthetic medium; 2) in thymulin- or corticosterone supplemented medium; 3) in co-culture with fragments of foetal thymus; 4) in co-culture with fragments of foetal thymus in corticosterone-supplemented medium. The numbers of germ cells were about 2-fold greater in testes cultured with fragments of thymus, or in thymulin-supplemented medium than in all the other experimental conditions. These results indicated that thymulin can stimulate foetal gonocytes proliferation and that corticosterone inhibits thymulin-stimulated gonocytes proliferation. The data suggest a functional relationship between corticosterone, thymulin and the foetal gonocytes in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Laboratoire de Cytologie et d'Histologie, Centre Universitaire des Saints-Pères, Université René-Descartes, Paris.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Prépin
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D013935:Thymic Factor, Circulating / Q000494:pharmacology*; D013950:Thymus Gland / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology; D013951:Thymus Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D013951:Thymus Hormones; D013935:Thymic Factor, Circulating; D003345:Corticosterone
vernacular_title: Le thymus foetal et la thymuline stimulent la prolifération des gonocytes dans le testicule foetal de rat in vitro.