Immunoreactivity for glial cell markers in the human testis.

Abstract

Previous studies provide evidence for the neuroendocrine nature of Leydig cells of the human testis (Schulze et al., 1987; Davidoff et al., 1993). In a comparative study of the testes of different vertebrates and man, Maunoury et al. (1991) established immunoreactivity for glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) in Leydig cells and adrenal cortex cells of the Syrian hamster. Holesh et al. (1993) found GFAP in rat Leydig cells situated in the vicinity of microvessels. The fact that Leydig cells of the testis may contain glial cell antigens encouraged us to search for GFAP (found in astrocytes and cell types of non-neural tissues), galactocerebroside (Ga1C; expressed in oligodendrocytes and peripheral Schwann cells), cyclic 2’,3’-nucleotide-3’-phosphodiesterase (CNPase; expressed in oligodendrocytes and peripheral Schwann cells), and A2B5-antigen (recognizing GT3 and other c-series gangliosides expressed by oligodendrocytes, type II astrocyte progenitors, some neurons and neuroendocrine cells) in structures of the human testis.