Germ cells regulate ketone bodies production in rat Sertoli cells

REGUEIRA MARIANA; RINDONE GUSTAVO; GALARDO MARÍA NOEL; PELLIZZARI ELIANA HERMINIA; CIGORRAGA SELVA BEATRIZ; MERONI SILVINA BEATRIZ; RIERA MARÍA FERNANDA

GENERAL AND COMPARATIVE ENDOCRINOLOGY

ACADEMIC PRESS INC ELSEVIER SCIENCE

Lugar: Amsterdam; Año: 2017

0016-6480

Paracrine regulation of Sertoli cell function by germ cells is an outstanding characteristic of testicular physiology. It has been demonstrated that Sertoli cells produce ketone bodies and that germ cells may use them as energy source. The aim of the study was to analyse a possible regulation by germ cells of ketogenesis in Sertoli cells. Cultures of Sertoli cells (SC) obtained from 31-day-old rats were co-cultured with germ cells (GC). The results presented herein show that the presence of GC stimulated 3-hydroxybutyrate production and increased mRNA levels of two enzymes involved in ketogenesis ?carnitine palmitoyltransferase 1a (CPT-1a) and mitochondrial 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (mHMGCoA) synthase? in SC. Additionally, GC increased monocarboxylate transporter 4 (MCT4) expression in SC, a transporter involved in ketone bodies exit. To evaluate if the observed effects might be mediated by soluble factors, SC cultures were incubated with germinal cell-conditioned medium (GCCM) or with two growth factors, bFGF and IGF-I, which are known to be secreted by GC. We observed that GCCM and bFGF stimulated ketone bodies production but that IGF-I did not modify it. Also, we observed that GCCM and bFGF increased CPT-1a and MCT4 mRNA levels but did not modify mHMGCoA synthase expression. In summary, results presented herein demonstrate that Sertoli cells are able to produce ketone bodies and that its production is regulated in a paracrine way by germ cells. This study adds new information about communication between Sertoli cells and developing germ cells.