Abstract
Adult inbred Lewis/Wistar rats, immunized against pachytene spermatocytes or Sertoli cells prepared from maturing rats of the same strain, develop histopathological changes in the testes comparable in several respects to those reported by others in classical experimental allergic orchitis. Early changes in the structure of pachytene spermatocytes are followed by germ cell degeneration, and defoliation of germinal cells into the lumen. Concomitantly, abnormalities develop in Sertoli cell structure, and the lymph‐testis barrier becomes increasingly permeable. Sertoli cells are the only testicular somatic cells which appear to be directly sensitive during the immunologic response. Disturbances in Sertoli cell functions are postulated to be crucial in the etiology of aspermatogenesis. The data are discussed in relation to the possible roles in spermatogenesis of specific antigenic determinants present on the surfaces of mature Sertoli cells and advanced germinal cells located within the adluminal compartment of the seminiferous tubule.
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