TY - JOUR
T1 - An oncological view on the blood-testis barrier
AU - Bart, Joost
AU - Groen, Harry J.M.
AU - Van Der Graaf, Winette T.A.
AU - Hollema, Harry
AU - Hendrikse, N. Harry
AU - Vaalburg, Willem
AU - Sleijfer, Dirk T.
AU - De Vries, Elisabeth G.E.
PY - 2002/1/1
Y1 - 2002/1/1
N2 - The function of the blood-testis barrier is to protect germ cells from harmful influences; thus, it also impedes the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs to the testis. The barrier has three components: first, a physicochemical barrier consisting of continuous capillaries, Sertoli cells in the tubular wall, connected together with narrow tight junctions, and a myoid-cell layer around the seminiferous tubule. Second, an efflux-pump barrier that contains P-glycoprotein in the luminal capillary endothelium and on the myoid-cell layer; and multidrug-resistance associated protein 1 located basolaterally on Sertoli cells. Third, an immunological barrier, consisting of Fas ligand on Sertoli cells. Inhibition of P-glycoprotein function offers the opportunity to increase the delivery of cytotoxic drugs to the testis. In the future, visualisation of function in the blood-testis barrier may also be helpful to identify groups of patients in whom testis conservation is safe or to select drugs that are less harmful to fertility.
AB - The function of the blood-testis barrier is to protect germ cells from harmful influences; thus, it also impedes the delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs to the testis. The barrier has three components: first, a physicochemical barrier consisting of continuous capillaries, Sertoli cells in the tubular wall, connected together with narrow tight junctions, and a myoid-cell layer around the seminiferous tubule. Second, an efflux-pump barrier that contains P-glycoprotein in the luminal capillary endothelium and on the myoid-cell layer; and multidrug-resistance associated protein 1 located basolaterally on Sertoli cells. Third, an immunological barrier, consisting of Fas ligand on Sertoli cells. Inhibition of P-glycoprotein function offers the opportunity to increase the delivery of cytotoxic drugs to the testis. In the future, visualisation of function in the blood-testis barrier may also be helpful to identify groups of patients in whom testis conservation is safe or to select drugs that are less harmful to fertility.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=0036075392&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(02)00776-3
DO - https://doi.org/10.1016/S1470-2045(02)00776-3
M3 - Review article
C2 - 12107023
SN - 1470-2045
VL - 3
SP - 357
EP - 363
JO - The Lancet Oncology
JF - The Lancet Oncology
IS - 6
ER -