Immunohistochemical localization of urokinase-type plasminogen activator in sertoli cells and tissue-type plasminogen activator in spermatogenic cells in the rat seminiferous epithelium☆

摘要

Theoccurrenceofplasminogenactivatorsoftheurokinase-type(u-PA)andtissue-type(t-PA)atvariousstagesoftheepithelialcyclewasstudiedimmunohistochemicallyinratseminiferoustubulesegments.u-PAimmunoreactivitywasdetectedexclusivelyatstagesVIIandVIIIinSertolicells,displayingadistinctgranularcytoplasmicstaining.t-PAimmunoreactivitywasfoundduringmid-andlatepachyteneanddiakinesis(stagesVIIa€“XIII)inspermatogeniccells,displayingagranularcytoplasmicstainingwithmaximalintensityinstagesIXa€“XIII.Thespecificityofthestainingswassupportedbystainingcontrols,includingabsorptionoftheantibodieswithpurifiedpreparationsoftheactivators.Itwasalsosupportedbyzymographicstudiesoftheoccurrenceofu-PAandt-PAinextractsoftubularsegmentsatdifferentstagesofthecycle,isolatedbytransillumination-assistedmicrodissection.Thepossiblefunctionsofthetwotypesofplasminogenactivatorsintheseminiferousepitheliumarediscussed.