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Sertoli cells actively metabolize glucose that is converted into lactate, which is used by developing germ cells for their energy metabolism. Androgens and oestrogens have general metabolic roles that reach far beyond reproductive processes. Hence, the main purpose of this study was to examine the effect of sex hormones on metabolite secretion/consumption in primary cultures of rat Sertoli cells. Sertoli cell-enriched cultures were maintained in a defined medium for 50 h. Glucose and pyruvate consumption, and lactate and alanine secretion were determined, by ¹H-NMR (proton NMR) spectra analysis, in the presence or absence of 100 nM E2 (17β-oestradiol) or 100 nM 5α-DHT (dihydrotestosterone). Cells cultured in the absence (control) or presence of E2 consumed the same amount of glucose (29±2 pmol/cell) at similar rates during the 50 h. After 25 h of treatment with DHT, glucose consumption and glucose …