Effect of fibroblast growth factor-2 on Sertoli cells and gonocytes in coculture during the perinatal period.
Sertoli cell-gonocyte cocultures obtained from rat testes 20 days postcoitum, 1 day postpartum, and 3 days postpartum were used to investigate the effect of FGF-2 on both somatic and germ cells in vitro during the perinatal period. With cells isolated from fetal, newborn, or 3-day-old animals, FGF-2 was found to significantly increase the number of Sertoli cells after 3 or 6 days of cultures, starting at a concentration of 1 ng/ml. FGF-2 did not increase the [3H]thymidine labeling index of Sertoli cells, indicating that FGF-2 is a survival factor for these cells in vitro. FGF-2 (1, 5, or 10 ng/ml) also significantly increased the number of gonocytes after 6 days of culture with cells from either newborn or 3-day-old animals. About twice as many germ cells were found in those cultures compared to the control cultures. Addition of a neutralizing antibody against FGF-2 to control cultures caused a significant decrease in the number of gonocytes compared to that in untreated cultures after 6 days, whereas with FGF-2, the antibody decreased the number of germ cells to control levels. FGF-2 significantly stimulated the proliferative activity of the gonocytes after 3 or 5 days, indicating that FGF-2 is a survival as well as a mitogenic factor for these cells. Taken together, these data suggest that FGF-2 is an important factor around the start of spermatogenesis, at least in vitro.
Van Dissel-Emiliani
F M
FM
Department of Veterinary Anatomy and Cell Biology, Veterinary School, Utrecht University, The Netherlands.
De Boer-Brouwer
M
M
De Rooij
D G
DG
D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000254:growth & development / Q000502:physiology*; D002452:Cell Count; D002455:Cell Division / Q000187:drug effects; D002470:Cell Survival; D018920:Coculture Techniques; D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2 / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology*; D006066:Gonads / Q000187:drug effects; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects*; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology* / Q000187:drug effects*
D016222:Fibroblast Growth Factor 2