title: Leydig cell cooperation in vitro: evidence for communication between adult rat Leydig cells.
abstract: In short-term incubations (32 C, 3 h) of purified adult rat Leydig cells, increasing the density from 5000 to 50,000 cells/16 mm diameter culture well caused a significant increase in human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-stimulated testosterone secretion/cell. Density-dependent stimulation was also observed under basal conditions and in the presence of dibutyryl cyclic adenosine monophosphate, luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone, or 22-hydroxy cholesterol. In contrast, increasing the incubation density of purified Leydig cells by addition of other testicular cells had no effect on basal or hCG-stimulated testosterone secretion. hCG-stimulated testosterone secretion by Leydig cells incubated at low density was also increased by addition of Leydig cell-conditioned medium. This stimulatory activity was removed by charcoal extraction and by ultrafiltration (approximately 30 kDa cut-off). The data indicate that Leydig cells cooperate by secretion of low molecular weight, cell-specific stimulatory factors that support Leydig cell steroidogenesis in vitro, and may also play a role in regulating Leydig cell function in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Hedger
authors.forename: E M
authors.initials: EM
authors.lastname: Eddy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002450:Cell Communication; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology; D003470:Culture Media; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D006888:Hydroxycholesterols / Q000494:pharmacology; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D011761:Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013268:Stimulation, Chemical; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D003470:Culture Media; D006888:Hydroxycholesterols; C003585:22-hydroxycholesterol; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D013739:Testosterone; D003994:Bucladesine; C034511:LHRH, pGlu(1)-Phe(2)-Trp(3,6)-; D011761:Pyrrolidonecarboxylic Acid