title: Interleukin-1alpha stimulates steroidogenic acute regulatory protein expression via p38 MAP kinase in immature rat Leydig cells.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Woman and Child Health, Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Karolinska Institute and Hospital, S-17176 Stockholm, Sweden. konstantin.svechnikov@kbh.ki.se
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Svechnikov
authors.forename: D M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Stocco
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Söder
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors / Q000494:pharmacology; D007093:Imidazoles / Q000494:pharmacology; D007375:Interleukin-1 / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000201:enzymology; D008297:Male; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors / Q000378:metabolism*; D010750:Phosphoproteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D010766:Phosphorylation; D011725:Pyridines / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein
chemical_list: D004791:Enzyme Inhibitors; D007093:Imidazoles; D007375:Interleukin-1; D010750:Phosphoproteins; D011725:Pyridines; D000098682:Steroidogenic Acute Regulatory Protein; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; C093642:SB 203580