TY - JOUR
T1 - Cytokines and the immune-testicular axis
AU - Hedger, Mark P.
AU - Meinhardt, Andreas
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors are supported by grants from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and from the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Me 1323/2-2 and 2-3, SFB 297).
PY - 2003/2
Y1 - 2003/2
N2 - Cytokines are regulatory proteins involved in haematopoiesis, immune cell development, inflammation and immune responses. Several cytokines have direct effects on testicular cell functions, and a number of these are produced within the testis even in the absence of inflammation or immune activation events. There is compelling evidence that cytokines, in fact, play an important regulatory role in the development and normal function of the testis. Pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 have direct effects on spermatogenic cell differentiation and testicular steroidogenesis. Stem cell factor and leukaemia inhibitory factor, cytokines normally involved in haematopoiesis, also play a role in spermatogenesis. Anti-inflammatory cytokines of the transforming growth factor-β family are implicated in testicular development. Consequently, local or systemic up-regulation of cytokine expression during injury, illness or infection may contribute to the disruption of testicular function and fertility that frequently accompanies these conditions. The aim of this review is to provide a very brief summary of the extensive literature dealing with cytokines in testicular biology, and to follow this with some speculation concerning the significance of these molecules in interactions between the immune system and the testis.
AB - Cytokines are regulatory proteins involved in haematopoiesis, immune cell development, inflammation and immune responses. Several cytokines have direct effects on testicular cell functions, and a number of these are produced within the testis even in the absence of inflammation or immune activation events. There is compelling evidence that cytokines, in fact, play an important regulatory role in the development and normal function of the testis. Pro-inflammatory cytokines including interleukin-1 and interleukin-6 have direct effects on spermatogenic cell differentiation and testicular steroidogenesis. Stem cell factor and leukaemia inhibitory factor, cytokines normally involved in haematopoiesis, also play a role in spermatogenesis. Anti-inflammatory cytokines of the transforming growth factor-β family are implicated in testicular development. Consequently, local or systemic up-regulation of cytokine expression during injury, illness or infection may contribute to the disruption of testicular function and fertility that frequently accompanies these conditions. The aim of this review is to provide a very brief summary of the extensive literature dealing with cytokines in testicular biology, and to follow this with some speculation concerning the significance of these molecules in interactions between the immune system and the testis.
KW - Cell-cell communication
KW - Cytokines
KW - Immune regulation
KW - Inflammation
KW - Spermatogenesis
KW - Steroidogenesis
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036488854&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/S0165-0378(02)00060-8
DO - 10.1016/S0165-0378(02)00060-8
M3 - Article
C2 - 12609522
SN - 0165-0378
VL - 58
SP - 1
EP - 26
JO - Journal of Reproductive Immunology
JF - Journal of Reproductive Immunology
IS - 1
ER -