title: Both Sertoli and peritubular cells respond to androgens with increased expression of an androgen response element reporter.
abstract: To explore the ability of androgens to affect gene expression in Sertoli and peritubular cells in vitro, constitutively expressed pSV2-Luc and a regulated reporter containing an androgen response element (MMTV-Luc) were transiently transfected into these cells. Reporter expression was markedly affected by cell density and maturational age. Mibolerone-stimulated MMTV-Luc expression increased in Sertoli cells with animal age between 15 and 25 days, consistent with the developmental increase in androgen receptor concentration, but was not markedly age-dependent in peritubular cells. The antiandrogen hydroxyflutamide inhibited stimulation of MMTV-Luc expression by 1 and 10 nM testosterone in both Sertoli and peritubular cells, consistent with an androgen receptor-mediated event. In contrast, dexamethasone at 1 and 10 nM elicited no effect in Sertoli cells, but stimulated MMTV-Luc expression in peritubular cells. In this study, the androgen receptor/glucocorticoid receptor ratio was 2.4 and 0.06 in Sertoli and peritubular cells, respectively. Cotransfection of Sertoli and peritubular cells with a plasmid expressing the rat androgen receptor further increased the androgen-stimulated expression of MMTV-Luc. These data demonstrate the functionality of the androgen receptors in both Sertoli and peritubular cells in culture. Receptor expression appears to be a limiting factor in the response. The data are consistent with potential roles for both Sertoli and peritubular cells in androgen-mediated transcriptional events in the testis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, University of Texas Medical School at Houston 77030.
authors.forename: C Y
authors.initials: CY
authors.lastname: Ku
authors.forename: D S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Loose-Mitchell
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Sanborn
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D015870:Gene Expression / Q000187:drug effects; D017930:Genes, Reporter / Q000187:drug effects*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D009277:Nandrolone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000187:drug effects / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D012708:Sertoli Cells / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D013737:Testis / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000378:metabolism; D045165:Testosterone Congeners / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014162:Transfection
chemical_list: D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D045165:Testosterone Congeners; D009277:Nandrolone; C100075:mibolerone