Dexamethasone is a regulator of clock genes in testicular peritubular cells.

Background: We recently found that peritubular cells of the human testis are a dominant site of expression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR; encoded by NR3C1). Activation of GR by dexamethasone (Dex) strongly influences the phenotype of cultured human testicular peritubular cells (HTPCs), causing massive changes of their proteome and secretome. As glucocorticoids (GC) are also known to set the internal clock of peripheral organs by regulating clock genes, we tested such an influence of Dex in HTPCs.

Identification of Catecholamine and Drug Target α-Adrenoceptor in Human Testis and Human Testicular Peritubular Cells.

Clonidine has been used in clinical medicine, e.g., to treat high blood pressure and other conditions.

Prolonged exposure to dexamethasone alters the proteome and cellular phenotype of human testicular peritubular cells.

Human testicular peritubular cells (HTPCs) are smooth muscle cells, which in the testis form a small compartment surrounding the seminiferous tubules. Contractions of HTPCs are responsible for sperm transport, HTPCs contribute to spermatogenesis, have immunological roles and are a site of glucocorticoid receptor expression. Importantly, HTPCs maintain their characteristics in vitro, and thus can serve as an experimental window into the male gonad.

Profound Effects of Dexamethasone on the Immunological State, Synthesis and Secretion Capacity of Human Testicular Peritubular Cells.

The functions of human testicular peritubular cells (HTPCs), forming a small compartment located between the seminiferous epithelium and the interstitial areas of the testis, are not fully known but go beyond intratesticular sperm transport and include immunological roles. The expression of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) indicates that they may be regulated by glucocorticoids (GCs). Herein, we studied the consequences of the GC dexamethasone (Dex) in cultured HTPCs, which serves as a unique window into the human testis.

Testicular adenosine acts as a pro-inflammatory molecule: role of testicular peritubular cells.

Extracellular ATP has been described to be involved in inflammatory cytokine production by human testicular peritubular cells (HTPCs). The ectonucleotidases ENTPD1 and NT5E degrade ATP and have been reported in rodent testicular peritubular cells. We hypothesized that if a similar situation exists in human testis, ATP metabolites may contribute to cytokine production.

Palmitic Acid Targets Human Testicular Peritubular Cells and Causes a Pro-Inflammatory Response.

Palmitic acid (PA) is a major fatty acid, derived from diet and endogenous production, which is being linked to inflammation. While such actions of PA at the level of the testis remain difficult to examine, we reasoned that studies in human testicular cells may be instructive. Human testicular peritubular cells (HTPCs) can be isolated from men and cultured.

Sperm retrieval procedures and intracytoplasmatic spermatozoa injection with epididymal and testicular sperms.

Introduction: Male infertility caused by azoospermia due to non-reconstructable obstruction or non-obstructive azoospermia can be treated by microsurgical epididymal aspiration (MESA) or testicular sperm extraction (TESE) followed by an intracytoplasmatic spermatozoa injection (ICSI).

Material And Methods: From 9/93 to 6/01, we carried out 1,025 ICSI procedures with aspirated epididymal or testicular sperms in 684 cases. 163 ICSI cycles were performed with epididymal sperms and 862 ICSI cycles with testicular sperms or spermatids.