BACKGROUND: Inflammation-induced testicular damage is a significant contributing factor to the increasing incidence of infertility. Traditional treatments during the inflammatory phase often fail to achieve the desired fertility outcomes, necessitating innovative interventions such as cell therapy. METHODS: We explored the in vivo properties of intravenously administered Sertoli cells (SCs) in an acute lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced inflammatory mouse model. Infiltrating and resident myeloid cell phenotypes were assessed using flow cytometry. The impact of SC administration on testis morphology and germ cell quality was evaluated using computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA) and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: SCs demonstrated a distinctive migration pattern, importantly they preferentially concentrated in the testes and liver. SC application significantly reduced neutrophil infiltration as well as preserved the resident macrophage subpopulations. SCs upregulated MerTK expression in both interstitial and peritubular macrophages. Applied SC treatment exhibited protective effects on sperm including their motility and kinematic parameters, and maintained the physiological testicular morphology. CONCLUSION: Our study provides compelling evidence of the therapeutic efficacy of SC transplantation in alleviating acute inflammation-induced testicular damage. These findings contribute to the expanding knowledge on the potential applications of cell-based therapies for addressing reproductive health challenges and offer a promising approach for targeted interventions in male infertility.

• Keywords
• Inflammation, Macrophages, Sertoli cells, Sperm, Testes,
• MeSH
• Lipopolysaccharides toxicity   MeSH
• Macrophages metabolism   MeSH
• Sperm Motility MeSH
• Mice, Inbred C57BL MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Sertoli Cells * metabolism   MeSH
• Spermatozoa * metabolism   MeSH
• Testis MeSH
• c-Mer Tyrosine Kinase metabolism   genetics   MeSH
• Inflammation * pathology   therapy   MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Check Tag
• Male MeSH
• Mice MeSH
• Animals MeSH
• Publication type
• Journal Article MeSH
• Names of Substances
• Lipopolysaccharides MeSH
• Mertk protein, mouse MeSH Browser
• c-Mer Tyrosine Kinase MeSH