摘要
The distribution of the androgen receptor (AR) in the adult rat testis was determined by biotin-streptavidin immunoperoxidase, employing tissue embedded in polyester wax which preserves antigenicity without compromising tissue preservation. The antibody probe used, which has been characterized previously, was an affinity purified, rabbit polyclonal antibody raised to the amino terminus peptide of the rat AR. Within the interstitial compartment, AR immunostaining was detected in some Leydig cells and all smooth muscle cells forming the walls of blood vessels, but endothelial cells of blood vessels were negative. Furthermore, in those Leydig cells that were clearly identified as exhibiting AR immunostaining, the intensity of the reaction varied. In the seminiferous tubules AR immunostaining was observed in all peritubular myoid cell nuclei, but not in the distal layer of lymphatic endothelial cells. In Sertoli cells, nuclear AR immunostaining was stage specific. Moderate AR immunostaining first became evident at late stage IV or early stage V of the cycle, reached a robust peak at stages VII-VIII, and then disappeared completely. Specific AR immunostaining was also discerned in the nuclei of stage XI elongated spermatids, the spermatids in which nuclear elongation is apparent but chromatin condensation has not yet begun. Next, with onset of chromatin condensation, nuclear AR immunostaining in elongated spermatids was not discerned concomitant with its detection in the cytoplasm of the germ cells. These results are interpreted in the following manner: 1) The presence of AR in Leydig cells is consistent with the hypothesis that androgens modify Leydig cell activity in an autocrine fashion. Further, that not all Leydig cells exhibited AR immunostaining at steady state suggests a differential, functional activity of these cells within the population. 2) The intense AR immunostaining of smooth muscle cells present in the interstitium indicates that these cells are targets for androgens. 3) AR immunoreactivity in both Sertoli and peritubular myoid cells suggests their involvement in the androgenic control of spermatogenesis. The stage specific AR immunoreactivity in Sertoli cells, however, may be more indicative of a specific androgen response during these stages, whereas peritubular cells may participate in the tonal maintenance of spermatogenesis. 4) The specific presence of AR in step 11 elongated spermatids may suggest that androgens can act directly on germ cells to regulate spermatogenesis.
摘要译文
雄性激素受体（AR）在成年大鼠睾丸中的分布通过生物素 - 链霉抗生物素蛋白免疫过氧化物酶测定，使用嵌入聚酯蜡中的组织，其保持抗原性而不损害组织保存。先前已表征的抗体探针是亲和纯化的兔多克隆抗体，其产生于大鼠AR的氨基末端肽。在间质室内，在一些Leydig细胞中检测到AR免疫染色，并且所有平滑肌细胞形成血管壁，但血管的内皮细胞是阴性的。此外，在那些被明确鉴定为表现出AR免疫染色的Leydig细胞中，反应强度发生变化。在曲细精管中，在所有的管周肌样细胞核中观察到AR免疫染色，但在淋巴管内皮细胞的远端层中未观察到。在Sertoli细胞中，核AR免疫染色是阶段特异性的。中度AR免疫染色首先在周期的晚期IV或早期阶段V变得明显，在VII-VIII期达到稳健的峰值，然后完全消失。在XI期细长精子细胞核中也观察到特异性AR免疫染色，其中核伸长明显但染色质凝聚尚未开始的精子细胞。接下来，随着染色质浓缩的开始，细长的精子细胞中的核AR免疫染色不能与其在生殖细胞的细胞质中的检测同时发现。这些结果以下列方式解释：1）Leydig细胞中AR的存在与雄激素以自分泌方式改变Leydig细胞活性的假设一致。此外，并非所有Leydig细胞在稳态下都表现出AR免疫染色，这表明这些细胞在群体内具有不同的功能活性。 2）间质中存在的平滑肌细胞的强烈AR免疫染色表明这些细胞是雄激素的靶标。 3）Sertoli和管周肌样细胞中的AR免疫反应性表明它们参与精子发生的雄激素控制。然而，Sertoli细胞中的阶段特异性AR免疫反应性可能更能指示这些阶段期间的特异性雄激素反应，而管周细胞可参与精子发生的音调维持。 4）步骤11细长精子细胞中AR的特异性存在可能表明雄激素可直接作用于生殖细胞以调节精子发生。
W Vornberger; G Prins; N A Musto; C A Suarez-Quian. Androgen receptor distribution in rat testis: new implications for androgen regulation of spermatogenesis[J]. Endocrinology, 1994,134(5): 2307-2316