BIOMATRIX EFFECT ON SERTOLI CELLS PHOSPHOLIPIDS

In order to investigate the influence of biomatrix on Sertoli cell mor phology and on the phospholipids content, these cells were isolated fr om testes of 15-day old Wistar rats and plated onto plastic coated wit h extracellular matrix extracted from seminiferous tubules, here denot ed biomatrix. When the Sertoli cells were cultured on biomatrix they d id not form a monolayer until day 7 of culture, while cells plated ont o plastic did so 48 h after plating. On day 5 of culture, Sertoli cell s were incubated for 48 h with 5 mu Ci/ml (32)p. There was no differen ce in P-32 incorporation into lipids of cells plated onto biomatrix or plastic. However, there was a larger amount of phospholipid phosphate ;in cells plated onto biomatrix than onto plastic. When the phospholip ids were analyzed by bidimensional thin-layer chromatography, no diffe rences were detected in their distribution; however, there was a signi ficant decrease in the percentage of sphingomyelin in cells plated ont o biomatrix when compared to plastic. These results showed that the ce lls cultured on biomatrix change their phospholipids content, but not their distribution. The importance of a small reduction in sphingomyel in content remains to be investigated.