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Distribution of Labeled Retinyl Acetate and Retinoic Acid in Rat and Human Testes. A Possible Site of Retinyl Acetate Incorporation in Rat Testes¹

Endocrine Research Laboratory, Departments of Medicine and Obstetrics-Gynecology, Howard University Medical School, Washington, D.C. 20059

This study was designed to investigate the distribution of vitamin A (retinol) in testicular tissue compartments (seminiferous tubules [S.T.] and interstitial tissue [I.T.]) by measuring the endogenous level of retinol and the incorporation of labeled retinyl acetate. Retinol was present in measurable quantities in the S.T. only, and over 96% of the total radioactivity in the intact testis was found in the S.T. Less than 2% of total radioactivity was found in the I.T., and endogenous retinol was not present in detectable quantities. Among the subcellular fractions of the S.T., the cytosol was the major site of incorporation of radioactivity (50% of total radioactivity). The remainder of the radioactivity was distributed in the Golgi apparatus (8%), in endoplasmic reticulum including mitochondria (23%), and in unbroken cells including nuclei (19%). Another study in which the S.T. contained only the Sertoli cells, the germinal epithelium having been destroyed selectively by the well-known alkylating agent, 1,4-dimethylsulfonoxy butane (busulfan), prior to the experiment, indicated that the Sertoli cell is the site of incorporation of labeled radioactivity. The pattern of incorporation of labeled radioactivity in rat testis compartments and the human testis was identical. It is concluded that (1) in testicular tissue, the S.T. is the site of the presence of retinol and, based upon the incorporation of labeled retinyl acetate, the cytosol appears to be the major site among the subcellular fractions; (2) among the cellular components of the S.T., the Sertoli cell appears to be the site of location of labeled retinyl acetate; and (3) retinoic acid, on the other hand, is nonspecifically distributed in the testicular tissue.

KEY WORDS: • testes • labeled retinyl acetate • Sertoli cell • seminiferous tubules • interstitial tissue

¹ This work was supported in part by grant HD 06045-02.

² Department of Food Sciences, Federal City College, Washington, D.C. 20001.

Manuscript received 1 October 1974.