Telocytes of the male urogenital system: Interrelationships, possible functions, and pathological implications

Abstract

The male urogenital system is composed of the reproductive system and the urinary tract; they have an interconnected embryonic development and share one of their anatomical components, the urethra. This system has a highly complex physiology deeply interconnected with the circulatory and nervous systems, as well as being capable of adapting to environmental variations; it also undergoes changes with aging and, in the case of the reproductive system, with seasonality.The stroma is an essential component in this physiological plasticity and its complexity has increased with the description in the last decade of a new cell type, the telocyte. Several studies have demonstrated the presence of telocytes in the organs of the male urogenital system and other systems; however, their exact function is not yet known. The present review addresses current knowledge about telocytes in the urogenital system in terms of their locations, interrelationships, possible functions and pathological implications. It has been found that telocytes in the urogenital system possibly have a leading role in stromal tissue organization/maintenance, in addition to participation in stem cell niches and an association with the immune system, as well as specific functions in the urogenital system, lipid synthesis in the testes, erythropoiesis in the kidneys and the micturition reflex in the bladder. There is also evidence that telocytes are involved in pathologies in the kidneys, urethra, bladder, prostate, and testes.

Scleroderma-like Impairment in the Network of Telocytes/CD34+ Stromal Cells in the Experimental Mouse Model of Bleomycin-Induced Dermal Fibrosis

“…Although currently anomalies in TCs/CD34 + stromal cells have been detected in a number of human pathological tissues, much work has yet to be done to clarify their functional implications [14,23,[25][26][27][28][29][30][31][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][54][55]. For instance, preclinical animal models reproducing tissue alterations of TCs/CD34 + stromal cells, much like those found in human diseases, may clearly represent an invaluable tool for elucidating the effective contribution of these cells to disease pathogenesis and/or pathophysiology, which could often only be supposed [25].…”

Telocytes and Their Structural Relationships With the Sperm Storage Tube and Surrounding Cell Types in the Utero-Vaginal Junction of the Chicken

“…TCs form an intercellular 3D network structure in the intestinal muscular layer that resists deformation and thus supports gastrointestinal peristalsis ( 45 ). Similarly, the network of TCs creating a 3D scaffold in the human urinary bladder interstitial space provides mechanical support during bladder wall expansion and relaxation and avoids abnormal wall deformation ( 46 ). Tubal TCs also produce slow waves in the smooth muscle of the oviduct and are considered pacemaker cells of the oviduct ( 40 , 41 , 47 ).…”

Intertubular morphometric and ultrastructural testes analyses in mdx mice

“…Telocytes are a new type of classic interstitial cells first described in the early 21 st century (Hinescu and Popescu, 2005) present in several organs, including the human testicle (Marini et al, 2018) and mdx mice testes (Gomes et al, 2021). Although their function has not yet been elucidated, some hypotheses indicate that these cells may be involved in the synthesis of testis lipids in the genital system (Sanches et al, 2021), is due to the communication of cytoplasmic processes through telopods (Tp), with multilamellar bodies (lipid storage) located in the Leydig cell cytoplasm (Haseeb et al, 2019). Furthermore, the presence of testicular telocytes in dystrophic mice seems to imply in spermatogenesis mechanisms, potentially aiding in seminiferous tubuletestosterone uptake (Gomes et al, 2021).…”

“…MLBs have been found near blood vessels or telocyte cells (Haseeb et al, 2019), the latter comprising a new cell found in the peritubular compartment. Although the function of this cell has not yet been elucidated, studies propose their participation in testes lipid synthesis (Sanches et al, 2021).…”