Neonatal seminal vesicle mesenchyme induces a new morphological and functional phenotype in the epithelia of adult ureter and ductus deferens

Development ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 111 (1) ◽  
pp. 145-158 ◽  
Author(s):  
G.R. Cunha ◽  
P. Young ◽  
S.J. Higgins ◽  
P.S. Cooke
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Seminal Vesicle ◽  
Developmental Plasticity ◽  
Androgen Receptors ◽  
Seminal Vesicles ◽  
Neonatal Mouse ◽  
Secretory Proteins ◽  
Complete Spectrum ◽  
Ductus Deferens ◽  
Functional Phenotype

Mesenchyme from neonatal mouse and rat seminal vesicles (SVM) was grown in association with postnatal (adult) epithelial cells from the ureter (URE) and ductus deferens (DDE) in chimeric tissue recombinants composed of mouse mesenchyme and rat epithelium or vice versa. Functional cytodifferentiation was examined in these SVM + URE and SVM + DDE tissue recombinants with antibodies against major androgen-dependent seminal-vesicle-specific secretory proteins. Adult DDE and URE were induced to express seminal cytodifferentiation and produced the complete spectrum of major seminal vesicle secretory (SVS) proteins. The SVS proteins produced were specific for the species that provided the epithelium. In the case of SVM + URE recombinants, the URE, which normally lacks androgen receptors (AR), expressed AR. These results demonstrate that adult epithelial cells retain a developmental plasticity equivalent to their undifferentiated fetal counterparts and are capable of being reprogrammed to express a completely new morphological, biochemical and functional phenotype.

Induction of functional cytodifferentiation in the epithelium of tissue recombinants. II. Instructive induction of Wolffian duct epithelia by neonatal seminal vesicle mesenchyme

Development ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 235-250 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.J. Higgins ◽  
P. Young ◽  
G.R. Cunha
Keyword(s):  
Seminal Vesicle ◽  
Normal Development ◽  
Seminal Vesicles ◽  
Wolffian Duct ◽  
Secretory Proteins ◽  
Ductus Deferens ◽  
Tissue Sections ◽  
Duct Epithelium ◽  
Mouse Tissues ◽  
Renal Grafts

When grown as renal grafts in adult male hosts, the upper (cranial), middle and lower (caudal) portions of fetal mouse and rat Wolffian ducts developed into epididymis, epididymis plus ductus deferens, and seminal vesicle, respectively. In heterotypic tissue recombinants, the epithelia from upper and middle Wolffian ducts were instructively induced to undergo seminal vesicle morphogenesis by neonatal seminal vesicle mesenchyme. Functional cytodifferentiation was examined in these recombinants using antibodies against major androgen-dependent, seminal vesicle-specific secretory proteins. The instructively induced Wolffian duct epithelia synthesized normal amounts of all of the secretory proteins characteristic of mature seminal vesicles, as judged by immunocytochemistry on tissue sections and gel electrophoresis plus immunoblotting of secretions extracted from the recombinants. In heterospecific recombinants composed of rat and mouse tissues, the seminal vesicle proteins induced were specific for the species that had provided the epithelium. This showed that the seminal vesicle epithelium in the recombinants was derived from instructively induced Wolffian duct epithelium and not from epithelial contamination of the mesenchymal inductor. Upper Wolffian duct epithelium, instructively induced to undergo seminal vesicle morphogenesis, did not express epididymis-specific secretory proteins, showing that its normal development had been simultaneously repressed.

Electron Microscopic Study of the Epithelium of the Seminal Vesicle of Aging Rats

1974 ◽  
Vol 32 ◽  
pp. 138-139
Author(s):  
V. F. Allison ◽  
G. C. Fink ◽  
G. W. Cearley
Keyword(s):  
Cell Growth ◽  
Epithelial Cell ◽  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Seminal Vesicle ◽  
Seminal Vesicles ◽  
Epithelial Layer ◽  
Epithelial Hyperplasia ◽  
Electron Microscopic ◽  
Aging Rats ◽  
Pseudostratified Epithelium

It is well known that epithelial hyperplasia (benign hypertrophy) is common in the aging prostate of dogs and man. In contrast, little evidence is available for abnormal epithelial cell growth in seminal vesicles of aging animals. Recently, enlarged seminal vesicles were reported in senescent mice, however, that enlargement resulted from increased storage of secretion in the lumen and occurred concomitant to epithelial hypoplasia in that species.The present study is concerned with electron microscopic observations of changes occurring in the pseudostratified epithelium of the seminal vescles of aging rats. Special attention is given to certain non-epithelial cells which have entered the epithelial layer.

Induction of functional cytodifferentiation in the epithelium of tissue recombinants. I. Homotypic seminal vesicle recombinants

Development ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 106 (2) ◽  
pp. 219-234 ◽  
Author(s):  
S.J. Higgins ◽  
P. Young ◽  
J.R. Brody ◽  
G.R. Cunha
Keyword(s):  
Seminal Vesicle ◽  
Time Course ◽  
Full Range ◽  
Seminal Vesicles ◽  
Neonatal Rat ◽  
Secretory Proteins ◽  
Functional Variation ◽  
Adult Rats ◽  
Normal Functional

Functional cytodifferentiation of seminal vesicle epithelium was investigated in tissue recombinants. Neonatal rat and mouse seminal vesicles were separated into epithelium and mesenchyme using trypsin. Epithelium and mesenchyme were then recombined in vitro to form interspecific rat/mouse homotypic recombinants. Growth as renal grafts in adult male athymic mice resulted in seminal vesicle morphogenesis in 70% of the recombinants (the remaining 30% failed to grow). Functional cytodifferentiation was judged by the expression of the major androgen-dependent secretory proteins characteristic of the seminal vesicles of adult rats and mice. Antibodies specific for each of these proteins were used to screen tissue sections by immunocytochemistry and to probe protein extracts by immunoblotting techniques. The heterospecific recombinants synthesized the full range of seminal vesicle secretory proteins that typifies the species providing the epithelium of the recombinant, not the mesenchyme. There was little functional variation between individual recombinants. The time course of development corresponded to that of intact neonatal seminal vesicles grown under the same conditions. Morphogenesis and functional cytodifferentiation were not evident after one week, but were well advanced after two weeks. Seminal vesicle recombinants grown for three weeks were indistinguishable morphologically and functionally from normal adult seminal vesicles. In addition, the ability of adult seminal vesicle epithelium to be induced to proliferate was examined. In association with neonatal seminal vesicle mesenchyme, the epithelium of the adult seminal vesicle proliferated and retained its normal functional activity. Thus, seminal vesicle functional cytodifferentiation can be faithfully reproduced in homotypic tissue recombinants. The methods used in this study will be used to investigate seminal vesicle development in instructive inductions of heterotypic epithelia.

Induction of prostatic morphology and secretion in urothelium by seminal vesicle mesenchyme

Development ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 121 (7) ◽  
pp. 2199-2207 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.A. Donjacour ◽  
G.R. Cunha
Keyword(s):  
Seminal Vesicle ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Urogenital Sinus ◽  
Secretory Proteins ◽  
Ductus Deferens ◽  
Male Reproductive Tract ◽  
Mesodermal Origin ◽  
Tissue Recombination ◽  
Endodermal Origin ◽  
Recombination Experiments

Mesenchymal-epithelial interactions are essential for the development of the male reproductive tract. Tissue recombination experiments have been used to define the characteristics of these interactions. When mesenchyme, embryonic connective tissue, is recombined with epithelium from another organ an instructive induction may occur in which the developmental fate of the epithelium is altered. Instructive inductions are most common when the epithelium that is removed from the mesenchyme and the epithelium that is recombined with the mesenchyme are from the same germ layer. All of the mesenchyme of the male reproductive tract is of mesodermal origin. The epithelia of these organs are derived from either the mesodermal Wolffian duct epithelium or the endodermal urogenital sinus epithelium. Urogenital sinus mesenchyme can instructively induce bladder and urethral epithelium to form prostate (Donjacour, A. A. and Cunha, G. R. (1993) Endocrinol. 132, 2342–2350) and seminal vesicle mesenchyme can instructively induce epithelium from the ductus deferens and ureter (Cunha, G. R., Young, P., Higgins, S. J. and Cooke, P. S. (1991) Development 111, 145–158) to form seminal vesicle. To see whether inductive interactions could occur across germ layers in this system, seminal vesicle mesenchyme, normally associated with a mesodermal epithelium, was recombined with epithelium from neonatal or adult bladder or urethra, which are of endodermal origin. The resulting tissue recombinants were analyzed histologically and by immunocytochemistry and western blotting with antibodies to prostatic and seminal vesicle secretory proteins. Full prostatic differentiation was observed in tissue recombinants made with seminal vesicle mesenchyme plus either adult or neonatal bladder or urethral epithelium.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

scholarly journals Genetic Architecture of Testis and Seminal Vesicle Weights in Mice

Genetics ◽  
2001 ◽  
Vol 158 (1) ◽  
pp. 333-340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Isabelle Le Roy ◽  
Sylvie Tordjman ◽  
Danièle Migliore-Samour ◽  
Hervé Degrelle ◽  
Pierre L Roubertoux
Keyword(s):  
Seminal Vesicle ◽  
Inbred Strains ◽  
Genome Scan ◽  
Reproductive Organ ◽  
Seminal Vesicles ◽  
Total Variance ◽  
Chromosome 4 ◽  
Lod Score ◽  
Quantitative Genetic ◽  
Testicular Weight

Abstract Comparisons across 13 inbred strains of laboratory mice for reproductive organ (paired seminal vesicles and paired testes) weights indicated a very marked contrast between the C57BL/6By and NZB/BINJ mice. Subsequently these strains were selected to perform a quantitative genetic analysis and full genome scan for seminal vesicle and testis weights. An F2 population was generated. The quantitative genetic analyses indicated that each was linked to several genes. Sixty-six short sequences for length polymorphism were used as markers in the wide genome scan strategy. For weight of paired testes, heritability was 82.3% of the total variance and five QTL contributed to 72.8% of the total variance. Three reached a highly significant threshold (>4.5) and were mapped on chromosome X (LOD score 9.11), chromosome 4 (LOD score 5.96), chromosome 10 (LOD score 5.81); two QTL were suggested: chromosome 13 (LOD score 3.10) and chromosome 18 (LOD score 2.80). Heritability for weight of seminal vesicles was 50.7%. One QTL was mapped on chromosome 4 (LOD score 9.21) and contributed to 24.2% of the total variance. The distance of this QTL to the centromere encompassed the distance of the QTL linked with testicular weight on chromosome 4, suggesting common genetic mechanisms as expected from correlations in the F2. Both testis and seminal vesicle weights were associated with a reduction in the NZB/BINJ when this strain carried the YNPAR from CBA/H whereas the YNPAR from NZB/BINJ in the CBA/H strain did not modify reproductive organ weights, indicating that the YNPAR interacts with the non-YNPAR genes. The effects generated by this chromosomal region were significant but small in size.

Histologic and Histochemical Characterization of Seminal Vesicle Intraluminal Secretions

2001 ◽  
Vol 125 (1) ◽  
pp. 141-145
Author(s):  
Rajal B. Shah ◽  
Min W. Lee ◽  
Alvaro A. Giraldo ◽  
Mahul B. Amin
Keyword(s):  
Seminal Vesicle ◽  
Alcian Blue ◽  
Prostate Carcinoma ◽  
Periodic Acid ◽  
Prostate Gland ◽  
Seminal Vesicles ◽  
Periodic Acid Schiff ◽  
Associated Malignancy ◽  
Distinguishing Features

Abstract Context.—We have observed intraluminal crystalloid morphology in seminal vesicles that is superficially similar to that seen in prostate neoplasia, but found little information on such morphology in the literature. Design.—Two hundred fifty-three prostate specimens (163 needle biopsies, 75 radical prostatectomies with prostate carcinoma, 11 prostates from autopsy, and 4 cystoprostatectomies without prostate carcinoma) were examined for seminal vesicle secretions, which were categorized as (a) dense platelike inspissated, (b) fluidlike, (c) crystalloid morphology, and (d) absent. Histochemical stains (periodic acid–Schiff with and without diastase, Alcian blue at pH 2.5, and mucicarmine) were performed to characterize the nature of secretions. Results.—Proteinaceous secretions were identified in 82% of seminal vesicles examined. Of these, 61% had predominantly dense, platelike, inspissated secretions, 15% had predominantly fluidlike secretions, and 24% had predominantly crystalloid morphology. Although in some cases the crystalloid morphology resembled that of prostatic intraluminal crystalloids, the seminal vesicle crystalloids differed in that they were invariably multiple, had curved edges, and had varied forms (elliptical, cylindrical, rodlike, and rectangular). Seventy-one percent of seminal vesicle crystalloids were associated with dense, platelike, inspissated secretions and appeared to be created by fracturing within platelike secretions. There was no relationship between seminal vesicle crystalloid morphology and associated malignancy in the prostate gland, as it was seen in 24% of cases with prostate carcinoma and 25% of cases without prostate carcinoma (P = 1.0000). Fluidlike secretions were positive for Alcian blue (pH 2.5) and mucicarmine, whereas dense platelike secretions and crystalloid morphology were negative for Alcian blue (pH 2.5) and mucicarmine. Conclusions.—Seminal vesicle secretions are fairly common and, when fluidlike, are composed of acid mucopolysaccharides. Inspissation of secretions appears to be associated with loss of acidity, presumably resulting in dense platelike secretions and crystallization. Awareness of both the crystalloid morphology in seminal vesicle tissue and the distinguishing features from prostatic crystalloids may be important while interpreting prostate needle biopsies in which seminal vesicle epithelium may be confused for prostate carcinoma because of a small acinar morphology with accompanying cytologic atypia and crystalloid morphology.

scholarly journals Sexual Transmission of XMRV: A Potential Infection Route

2011 ◽  
Vol 2011 ◽  
pp. 1-5 ◽  
Author(s):  
Prachi Sharma ◽  
Kenneth A. Rogers ◽  
Suganthi Suppiah ◽  
Ross J. Molinaro ◽  
Nattawat Onlamoon ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Chronic Infection ◽  
Protein Production ◽  
Reproductive Tract ◽  
Rhesus Macaques ◽  
Sexual Transmission ◽  
Seminal Vesicles ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Route Of Transmission ◽  
Intravenous Inoculation

Although XMRV dissemination in humans is a matter of debate, the prostate of select patients seem to harbor XMRV, which raises questions about its potential route of transmission. We established a model of infection in rhesus macaques inoculated with XMRV. In spite of the intravenous inoculation, all infected macaques exhibited readily detectable XMRV signal in the reproductive tract of all 4 males and 1 female during both acute and chronic infection stages. XMRV showed explosive growth in the acini of prostate during acute but not chronic infection. In seminal vesicles, epididymis, and testes, XMRV protein production was detected throughout infection in interstitial or epithelial cells. In the female monkey, epithelial cells in the cervix and vagina were also positive for XMRV gag. The ready detection of XMRV in the reproductive tract of male and female macaques infected intravenously suggests the potential for sexual transmission for XMRV.

scholarly journals Culture patterns and sorting of rat Sertoli cell secretory proteins

1988 ◽  
Vol 89 (2) ◽  
pp. 175-188
Author(s):  
H. Ueda ◽  
L.L. Tres ◽  
A.L. Kierszenbaum
Keyword(s):  
Epithelial Cells ◽  
Sertoli Cell ◽  
Sertoli Cells ◽  
Secretory Proteins ◽  
Spermatogenic Cells ◽  
Squamous Cells ◽  
Nylon Mesh ◽  
Continuous Sheet ◽  
Peritubular Cells ◽  
Cells Cultured

A cocultivation chamber and two types of permeable substrates have been used to study: (1) the culture patterns of rat Sertoli and peritubular cells, and Sertoli cells cocultured with spermatogenic cells or peritubular cells; and (2) the polarized secretion of Sertoli cell-specific proteins transferrin, S70 and S45-S35 heterodimeric protein. Substrates included a nylon mesh (with openings of 100 micron) coated with extracellular matrix (ECM) material and an uncoated microporous filter (with pores of 0.45 micron). Sertoli cells cultured on ECM-coated nylon mesh organized a continuous sheet of multilayered epithelial cells essentially devoid of spermatogenic cells while peritubular cells formed a layer of squamous cells. Sertoli cells cultured on uncoated microporous substrate formed a continuous sheet of cuboidal epithelial cells with numerous basal cytoplasmic processes projecting into the substrate and abundant apically located spermatogenic cells, while peritubular cells organized one or two layers of loose squamous cells. [35S]methionine-labelled secretory proteins resolved by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography displayed cell-specific patterns that were slightly influenced by the type of substrate. Sertoli cells cocultured with peritubular cells on uncoated microporous substrate under conditions that enabled separation of apical and basal surfaces, secreted proteins in a polarized fashion. While transferrin was released bidirectionally, S45-S35 heterodimeric protein was released apically. S70 was detected in both apical and basal compartments. We conclude from these studies that: (1) the number of spermatogenic cells decreases when Sertoli-spermatogenic cell cocultures are prepared on ECM-coated nylon substrate; and (2) Sertoli cells in coculture with spermatogenic or peritubular cells on uncoated microporous substrate, organize continuous sheets displaying polarized protein secretion.

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