title: Tungstate treatment improves Leydig cell function in streptozotocin-diabetic rats.
abstract: Oral administration of sodium tungstate to adult male streptozotocin-diabetic rats for 3 months normalized serum levels of glucose, insulin, luteinizing hormone, and follicle-stimulating hormone. These effects were accompanied by an increase in reproductive performance, which was related to a strong improvement in Leydig cell function markers, such as the recovery of the number of Leydig cells and serum testosterone levels. Moreover, this in vivo recovery was related to a concomitant increase in the cell expression of insulin receptors. Tungstate treatment did not modify Leydig cell function in healthy rats. Furthermore, the addition of tungstate or insulin to the mTLC-1 cell line from Leydig cell origin increased the phosphorylation states of MAP-kinase and glycogen synthase kinase-3. Our results indicate that tungstate treatment in diabetic rats leads to a recovery of reproductive performance by increasing the number of Leydig cells. This increase contributes to the recovery of their functionality, thereby improving the overall function of these cells. We propose that this improvement is caused by the combined effect of the tungstate-induced normalization of insulin glucose and luteinizing hormone serum levels and a direct action of the effector on Leydig cells through modulation of at least MAP-kinase and glycogen synthase kinase-3 activities.
authors.affiliation: Unit of Animal Reproduction, Department of Animal Medicine and Surgery, School of Veterinary Medicine, Autonomous University of Barcelona, E-08193 Bellaterra, Spain.
authors.forename: Joan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ballester
authors.forename: Jorge
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Domínguez
authors.forename: M Carmen
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Muñoz
authors.forename: Meritxell
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sensat
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Rigau
authors.forename: Joan J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Guinovart
authors.forename: Joan E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Rodríguez-Gil
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D002460:Cell Line; D003921:Diabetes Mellitus, Experimental / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 / Q000378:metabolism; D007328:Insulin / Q000627:therapeutic use; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000166:cytology / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases / Q000378:metabolism; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D011972:Receptor, Insulin / Q000096:biosynthesis; D012098:Reproduction / Q000187:drug effects; D017973:Tungsten Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D007328:Insulin; D017973:Tungsten Compounds; C025399:sodium tungstate(VI); D011972:Receptor, Insulin; D020928:Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases; D038362:Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3