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Sertoli cell function in albino rats treated with etoposide during prepubertal phase

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Abstract

Sertoli cell plays a key role in spermatogenesis. Many studies refer that this cell is not harmed by the majority of anticancer treatments known to cause damage to the testis. However, in the previous study we observed that etoposide, an efficient chemotherapeutic drug, provokes an increase in numerical density of the Sertoli cells. This phenomenon suggests that this cell was harmed by etoposide. Thus, we decided to investigate a possible direct action of etoposide on Sertoli cells analyzing the function of this cell and relating it with the integrity and damage of the seminiferous epithelium. Prepubertal albino rats received 5 mg/kg of etoposide for eight consecutive days and were sacrificed in different ages. The control groups received 0.9% saline solution. The testes were fixed in Bouin’s liquid for transferrin immunolabeling and testicular labeled tissue volume density measurement. Except for the younger rats, all the etoposide-treated rats showed diminution of transferrin immunolabeling in the seminiferous epithelium, and consequently, of total labeled testicular tissue volume density. We concluded that the diminution of transferrin labeling in the seminiferous epithelium was not associated with germ cell absence such as commonly reported. The results suggest etoposide impairs Sertoli cell function.

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by FAPESP. The authors thank Isabel Cristina C. M. Westin for text revision.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Federal University of São Paulo, 740, Botucatu, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Taiza Stumpp & Sandra Maria Miraglia

  2. Federal University of São Paulo, 862, Botucatu, São Paulo, SP, Brazil

    Edna Freymüller

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  1. Taiza Stumpp
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  2. Edna Freymüller
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  3. Sandra Maria Miraglia
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Correspondence to Taiza Stumpp.

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Stumpp, T., Freymüller, E. & Miraglia, S.M. Sertoli cell function in albino rats treated with etoposide during prepubertal phase. Histochem Cell Biol 126, 353–361 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00418-006-0168-3

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