ABSTRACT
The effect of proteins secreted by cultured pre-pubertal rat Sertoli cells (pSCP) on natural killer (NK) cell activity of rat, mice and guinea pig splenocytes and human peripheral blood lymphocytes was estimated. The results indicate that pSCP inhibited, in a dose-dependent manner, NK cell activity of mice, guinea pig and human lymphocytes but did not suppress lysis of YAC-1 target cells by rat NK cells. Species-specific differences in the effect of pSCP on NK cell activity probably result from differences in the binding of proteins within the effector cells. These data indicate that in the pre-pubertal period of gonadal development immature Sertoli cells synthesize a factor/s which might contribute to the maintenance of specific testis immunological environment.
