Organic and inorganic transporters of the testis: A review

Abstract

Transporters have a huge impact on the toxicology and pharmacological effects of xenobiotics in addition to being implicated in several diseases. While these important proteins have been well studied in organs such as the kidney or liver, characterization of transporters in the testis is still in the early stages. Knowledge of transporter function may greatly advance the field's understanding of the physiological and toxicological processes that occur in the testis. Several foundational studies involving both organic and inorganic transporters have been critical in furthering our understanding of how the testis interacts with endogenous and xenobiotic compounds. This review provides an overview of how transporters function, their clinical significance, and highlights what is known for many of the important transporters in the testis.

Keywords:

• germ cells
• leydig cells
• physiology
• Sertoli cells
• transporters
• testis
• toxicology

Disclosure of Potential Conflicts of Interest

No potential conflicts of interest were disclosed.

Funding

This work was supported by the National Institutes of Health [Grants NIAID AI083927, ES006694, and HD062489] and the National Institute of Environmental Health Science Toxicology Training Grant [ES007091].