Development of fetal and adult Leydig cells

The objective of this study was to purify cells in the Leydig cell lineage following regeneration after ethane dimethanesulfonate (EDS) treatment and compare their steroidogenic capacity. Regenerated progenitor (RPLCs), immature (RILCs), and adult Leydig cells (RALCs) were isolated from testes 21, 28 and 56 days after EDS treatment respectively. Production rates for androgens including androsterone and 5α-androstane-17β, 3α-diol (DIOL), testosterone and androstenedione were measured in RPLCs, RILCs and RALCs in media after 3-h in vitro culture with 100 ng/ml LH. Steady-state mRNA levels of steroidogenic enzymes and their activities were measured in freshly isolated cells. Compared to adult Leydig cells (ALCs) isolated from normal 90-day-old rat testes, which primarily produce testosterone (69.73%), RPLCs and RILCs primarily produced androsterone (70.21%) and DIOL (69.79%) respectively. Leydig cells isolated from testes 56 days post-EDS showed equivalent capacity of steroidogenesis to ALCs and primarily produced testosterone (72.90%). RPLCs had cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 and 17α-hydroxylase but had almost no detectable 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 activities, while RILCs had increased 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 activities. Because RPLCs and RILCs had higher 5α-reductase 1 and 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities they produced mainly 5α-reduced androgens. Real-time PCR confirmed the similar trends for the expressions of these steroidogenic enzymes. In conclusion, the purified RPLCs, RILCs and RALCs are similar to those of their counterparts during rat pubertal development.

Download Full-text

Differentiation of adult Leydig cells

The Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology ◽

10.1016/0960-0760(95)00022-r ◽

1995 ◽

Vol 53 (1-6) ◽

pp. 61-68 ◽

Cited By ~ 131

Author(s):

Lauri Benton ◽

Li-Xin Shan ◽

Matthew P. Hardy

Keyword(s):

Leydig Cells ◽

Adult Leydig Cells

Download Full-text

Androgen receptor expression is required to ensure development of adult Leydig cells and to prevent development of steroidogenic cells with adrenal characteristics in the mouse testis

BMC Developmental Biology ◽

10.1186/s12861-019-0189-5 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 19 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Peter J. O’Shaughnessy ◽

Rod T. Mitchell ◽

Ana Monteiro ◽

Laura O’Hara ◽

Lyndsey Cruickshanks ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Androgen Receptor ◽

Leydig Cells ◽

Receptor Expression ◽

Androgen Receptor Expression ◽

Mouse Testis ◽

Adult Leydig Cells ◽

Steroidogenic Cells

Download Full-text

Interleukin-1alpha stimulates steroidogenic acute regulatory protein expression via p38 MAP kinase in immature rat Leydig cells

Journal of Molecular Endocrinology ◽

10.1677/jme.0.0300059 ◽

2003 ◽

Vol 30 (1) ◽

pp. 59-67 ◽

Cited By ~ 21

Author(s):

K Svechnikov ◽

DM Stocco ◽

O Soder

Keyword(s):

Protein Expression ◽

Map Kinase ◽

Leydig Cell ◽

Leydig Cells ◽

Regulatory Protein ◽

P38 Map Kinase ◽

Dependent Manner ◽

Star Protein ◽

Adult Leydig Cells ◽

Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory

We have investigated the involvement of the steroidogenic acute regulatory (StAR) protein in interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha)-induced steroidogenesis in immature (40-day-old) and adult Leydig cells in vitro. Further, IL-1alpha-mediated signaling pathway(s) controlling StAR expression in immature Leydig cells were also studied. IL-1alpha stimulated both androgen production and StAR protein expression in a dose- and time-dependent manner in immature but not adult Leydig cells. These effects of IL-1alpha were prevented by pretreatment of the cells with the specific inhibitors of the p38 MAP kinase, SB203580 and PD169316, suggesting that this kinase is an important part of IL-1alpha signaling in the immature Leydig cell. The present results suggest that IL-1alpha, which is constitutively produced by the rat testis from postnatal day 25, is an important paracrine regulator of postnatal Leydig cell maturation. Regulation of StAR protein expression is one of the possible mechanisms by which IL-1alpha contributes to the differentiation of immature Leydig cells into adult cells.

Download Full-text

Differential regulation of steroidogenic enzymes metabolizing testosterone or dihydrotestosterone by human chorionic gonadotropin in cultured rat neonatal interstitial cells

Acta Endocrinologica ◽

10.1530/acta.0.1220289 ◽

1990 ◽

Vol 122 (2) ◽

pp. 289-295 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

Eisuke P. Murono

Keyword(s):

Chorionic Gonadotropin ◽

Human Chorionic Gonadotropin ◽

Leydig Cells ◽

Reductase Activity ◽

Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase ◽

Interstitial Cells ◽

Differential Regulation ◽

Steroidogenic Enzyme ◽

Isomerase Activity ◽

Adult Leydig Cells

Abstract The present studies examined the effects of hCG on steroidogenic enzyme activities involved in the metabolism of testosterone or dihydroststosterone in cultured rat neonatal interstitial cells. 5α-reductase and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities, which are involved in the conversion of testosterone to dihydrotestosterone and androstenedione, respectively, were low in cultured neonatal interstitial cells, were unresponsive to hCG and declined to undetectable levels during 14 days of culture. However, Δ5-3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase-isomerase activity, which is involved in the biosynthesis of testosterone, and 5α-androstane-3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and 5α-androstane-3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities, which are involved in the conversion of dihydrotestosterone to 5α-androstan-3α, 17β-diol and 5α-androstan-3β, 17β-diol, respectively, were maintained or increased by hCG during the same culture period. These results demonstrate that 5α-reductase and 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities do not play a significant role in regulating testosterone accumulation in fetal/neonatal Leydig cells, and they suggest that these cells are adapted to maintain high testosterone but low dihydrotestosterone levels. The present results demonstrate also that fetal/neonatal Leydig cells differ from immature or adult Leydig cells with respect to the sensitivity of 5α-reductase activity to LH/hCG.

Download Full-text