The blood testis barrier is a physical barrier between the blood vessels and the seminiferous tubules of the animal testes. It divides the seminiferous epithelium into the basal and the. The bloodtestis barrier and its implications for male contraception. Schematic drawing illustration of the seminiferous tubule and the blood testis barrier btb. How it form myoid layer sertoli cell junction sertoli cell junction formed by tight connections between the sertoli cells, which are sustentacular cells nurse. However, as a result of a common misunderstanding of the nature of this vitally important structure, its actual role is usually overestimated. Regulation of bloodtestis barrier dynamics by desmosome, gap. The name blood testis barrier is misleading in that it is not a bloodorgan barrier in a strict sense, but is formed between sertoli cells of the seminiferous tubule and as such isolates the further developed stages of germ cells from the blood. The bloodtestis barrier and its implications for male.
The blood testis barrier provides a microenvironment for spermatogenesis to occur in an immunologically privileged site. Blood testis barrier btb is found between adjacent sertoli cells within the seminiferous tubules. Blood testis barrier is an essential barrier within body. Meiosis, spermiogenesis and spermiation take place in the apical compartment. Testis barrier before and after efferent ductule ligation in the rat. Hua jiang 1, ihtis ham bukhari 1, w ei zheng 1, shi y in 1, zheng w ang 1, h oward j cooke 1,2. Bloodtestis barrier an overview sciencedirect topics. The terminal segment of the seminiferous tubules and the blood.
Degeneration of the testicular tissue starts in utero and accelerates at puberty with hyalinisation of seminiferous tubules, spermatogonia. The physical barrier is predominantly at the level of the intercellular junctions between sertoli cells see fig. The bloodtestis barrier btb is one of the tightest bloodtissue barriers in the mammalian body. Some functions of blood testis barrier are controls, maintain the adluminal environment, maintains osmotic pressure and fluid properties, controls passage of toxic substances. Sertoli cell barrier or blood testis barrier can be compared to blood brain barrier. The bloodtestis barrier btb is a unique ultrastructure in the mammalian testis. It is widely believed that the blood testis barrier plays a role in protecting testicular antigens from the immune system. Sertoli cells serve as nurse cells for spermatogenesis, nourishing germ cells as they develop. Foster, in pathologic basis of veterinary disease sixth edition, 2017.