Fundamental Study on Improving Male Reproductive Function After Systemic Acute Inflammation

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K18371
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 55060:Emergency medicine-related
• Research Institution: Hyogo Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Inoue Taketo 兵庫医科大学, 医学部, 非常勤講師 (30772652)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: セルトリ細胞 / 急性炎症 / エンドトキシン / IL-18 / アポトーシス / デスレセプター経路 / 精巣 / 感受性

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This study demonstrated that Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) induced an inflammatory response in TM4 Sertoli cells, potentially increasing their sensitivity to apoptotic signals. However, LPS treatment did not stimulate the production of apoptosis-inducing ligands in the TM4 Sertoli cells, and as a result, apoptosis was not induced in response to LPS treatment. Additionally, our study showed that recombinant IL-18 did not induce apoptosis in Sertoli cells. This study suggests that Sertoli cells may have some tolerance to apoptosis in response to infectious inflammatory stimulation (tested using LPS) and inflammasome-mediated cytokine stimulation (tested using IL-18). These results suggested that Sertoli cells do not easily undergo apoptosis despite strong inflammatory stimuli. Additionally, Sertoli cells may resist inflammation and play a larger role in protecting testicular homeostasis than other component cells of the testis.

Free Research Field

生殖免疫学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究結果から、セルトリ細胞は、感染による炎症刺激やサイトカイン刺激によるアポトーシスに対し、ある程度の耐性を持つ可能性が示唆された。我々のこれまでの研究結果と合わせると、Lipopolysaccharideや高濃度のインターロイキン-18のような炎症刺激物質に対する感受性とアポトーシスへの反応は、精巣体細胞（セルトリ細胞とライディッヒ細胞）の間に違いがあることが明らかとなった。故に、セルトリ細胞は炎症刺激に耐性があり、精巣の他の構成細胞よりも精巣の恒常性を維持する上で大きな役割を果たしている可能性が示唆された。