Effect of aging on rat testicular interstitial compartment: characterization by single-cell-RNA-sequence analysis

This dataset is a part of study addressing the difference in testicular cell transcriptomes between young and old BN rats. The study utilized single-cell RNA sequencing and immunofluorescence staining to characterize the testicular interstitial cells of young (3 month-old) and old (21 month-old) of BN rats. The findings revealed that the interstitial cells do not age in a synchronous manner and display remarkable heterogeneity. Specifically, Leydig cells (LCs), endothelial cells (ECs), and immune cells are predominantly affected. The LC population experiences a loss of heterogeneity and associated functions, such as xenobiotics metabolism and cytokine signaling, accompanied by an increase in cardiomyocyte-related functions. ECs exhibit a reduction in biological functions and an enhancement in immune response and leukocyte chemotaxis. Among the immune cell populations, dendritic cell number decreases, while that of lymphocytes rises, accompanied by a shift from innate to adaptive immunity. These alterations may lead to the formation of proinflammatory microenvironment and further accelerate overall testicular aging.