The adrenal secretion of progesterone stimulates testicular steroidogenesis in the rat in vitro.
We have used a multicolumn isolated cell superfusion system to investigate the interaction between isolated rat adrenal and testicular cells in the secretion of sex steroids. The steroid responses of a mixed population of adrenal and testicular cells to the administration of ACTH 100 pg/ml was compared with the responses of the separate cell types. Steroid responses from 5 separate experiments were analysed. We have demonstrated increased secretion of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone (P less than 0.0005), androstenedione (P less than 0.05) and testosterone (P less than 0.0005) by a mixture of cells when compared with the responses of either cell type alone. In contrast, the secretion of progesterone (P less than 0.0005) and corticosterone (P less than 0.005) was reduced in the mixed cell population, suggesting that progesterone is preferentially converted by testicular cells to 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione and testosterone. This is confirmed by increased secretion of 17 alpha-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione and testosterone but not corticosterone by a mixed population following the administration of progesterone 10 ng/ml. These results suggest that the adrenal secretion of progesterone can stimulate testicular steroidogenesis in the male rat in vitro.
D000311:Adrenal Glands / Q000378:metabolism*; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone / Q000494:pharmacology; D000818:Animals; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D011374:Progesterone / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; D011374:Progesterone; D000324:Adrenocorticotropic Hormone