In-vitro effects of FSH and testosterone withdrawal on caspase activation and DNA fragmentation in different cell types of human seminiferous epithelium

Abstract

These findings confirm the central role of caspases in apoptosis of Sertoli cells. However, they also suggest that acute apoptosis of germ cells in the adult human testis occurs in a caspase-independent way and is controlled by Sertoli cells via an as yet undetermined mechanism.