The effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) on testicular germ cell differentiation was investigated. Testicular fragments from surgically prepared cryptorchid testes of adult mice were cultured for 9 days in serum-free media containing various concentrations of EGF. Histological sections of testis were examined under a light microscope and each type of germ cell and mitotic cell in the seminiferous tubules was counted per 1000 Sertoli cells. EGF at concentrations ranging from 100 to 200 ng/ml induced differentiation of type A spermatogonia. The observed maximal stimulatory activity of EGF at a concentration of 100 ng/ml was 30% of the positive control cultures treated with calf serum. EGF at concentrations ranging from 1 to 100 ng/ml significantly inhibited the mitotic activity of FSH, FSH plus retinol, or FSH plus fetuin on type A spermatogonia and their differentiation. The number of type A spermatogonia in testes cultured with FSH, FSH plus retinol, or FSH plus fetuin decreased when EGF was added. On the other hand, EGF stimulated the differentiation of type A spermatogonia induced with fetuin but did not influence retinol-induced differentiation. It is proposed that EGF inhibits testicular germ cell differentiation by blocking the proliferation of type A spermatogonia stimulated by FSH.
Journal of Endocrinology (1991) 128, 383–388
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