ABSTRACT
The Sertoli cell, originally described by the Italian physiologist Enrico Sertoli in 1865, is the nongerminal component of the seminiferous epithelium where mammalian spermatogenesis takes place. Sertoli cells play multiple roles in maintaining and regulating spermatogenesis, although the exact mechanisms remain to be determined. There is abundant evidence showing that the Sertoli cell is also the target of many testicular toxicants. The objective of this chapter is to provide a review of the current knowledge on the toxicities of some environmental agents in Sertoli cells. It will focus on the most studied Sertoli cell toxicities and thus will not be an exhaustive review of every agent shown to affect Sertoli cell functions . There will also be a brief review on the biology of Sertoli cells and experimental models applied in Sertoli cell toxicological research. For detailed information on the biology of spermatogenesis and Sertoli cells, as well as the toxicological methodology, we refer the readers to The Senoli Cell by Russell and Griswold (1993) and reviews by Heindel and Treinen (1989), Lamb and Chapin (1993), Lamb (1993), Bardin et al. (1994), Jegou (1994), and Kierszenbaum (1994). Since the rat is the most frequently used animal in male reproductive toxicological studies, the Sertoli cell used in this chapter refers to rat Sertoli cells unless otherwise mentioned.
