Immunopathological aspects of the interruption of germ cell transport and on testicular blood flow in mice.

1. 睾丸的主要功能是发生精子和分泌睾酮。精子的特殊之处在于它在人体中出现得最晚。因此，它们的自身抗原在免疫耐受期后很长时间才出现，容易被识别为异物。精子被认为是通过支持细胞间连接形成的血睾丸屏障而免受免疫系统的侵害。然而，我们的研究表明，血睾丸屏障是在直管和尿道睾丸区域向免疫系统开放的。因此，在正常情况下，免疫细胞可以接触到精子抗原。用抗细胞因子（IL-6和IL-10）抗体和免疫调节剂（脱氧果苷）治疗可增强或抑制睾丸自身免疫。实验性自身免疫性睾丸炎是睾丸自身免疫研究领域中研究最多的一种。在本研究中，我们试图评估小鼠生殖细胞运输或血流实验中断时睾丸的自身免疫方面。在另一项研究中，我们发现一侧睾丸的创伤性损伤可引起另一侧睾丸的淋巴细胞浸润和生曲霉。然而，在中断一侧睾丸生殖细胞运输或血液流动的实验中，在另一侧睾丸未发现炎症或退行性改变。在进一步的研究中，我们将这些实验与精子自身抗原致敏或内分泌干扰物预处理相结合，以研究额外的治疗是否会调节睾丸的免疫状态。

1. Primary functions of the testis are spermatogenesis and testosterone secretion.2. The spermatozoa are very special in that they appear most late in human body. Therefore, their autoantigens are apt to be recognized as foreign bodies because of the appearance of them long after the period of immune tolerance.3. It has been considered that the spermatozoa are preserved from the immune system by the blood-testis barrier formed by inter-Sertoli cell junctions. However, our studies revealed that the blood-testis barrier is opened to the immune system at the tubuli recti and rete testis regions. Therefore, the sperm antigens are accessible to the immune cells under normal condition.4. Treatment with anti-cytokines (IL-6 and IL-10) antibodies and a immunomodulater (deoxyspergualin) augmented or inhibited the testicular autoimmunity.5. Experimental autoimmune orchitis has been most studied in a field of investigation of the testicular autoimmunity. In the present study, we tried to evaluate autoimmune aspects of testes in which their germ cell transport or blood flow is experimentally interrupted in mice.6. In another study, we found that traumatic injury to a testis on one side induced lymphocytic infiltration and aspermatogeneis in testis on opposite side. However, in experiments of interruption of germ cells transport or blood flow in a testis on one side, no inflammatory or degenerative changes were found in a testis on opposite side. In further studies, we combine these experiments with sensitization with sperm autoantigens or pretreatment with endocrine disruptors to investigate whether the additional treatments modulate immune state of the testes.