title: Chronic stress induces ageing-associated degeneration in rat Leydig cells.
abstract: Several studies have suggested that stress and ageing exert inhibitory effects on rat Leydig cells. In a pattern similar to the normal process of Leydig cell ageing, stress-mediated increases in glucocorticoid levels inhibit steroidogenic enzyme expression that then results in decreased testosterone secretion. We hypothesized that chronic stress accelerates the degenerative changes associated with ageing in Leydig cells. To test this hypothesis, we established a model of chronic stress to evaluate stress-induced morphological and functional alterations in Brown Norway rat Leydig cells; additionally, intracellular lipofuscin levels, reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels and DNA damage were assessed. The results showed that chronic stress accelerated ageing-related changes: ultrastructural alterations associated with ageing, cellular lipofuscin accumulation, increased ROS levels and more extensive DNA damage were observed. Additionally, testosterone levels were decreased. This study sheds new light on the idea that chronic stress contributes to the degenerative changes associated with ageing in rat Leydig cells in vivo.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Medicine Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200025, China.
authors.forename: Fei-Fei
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Qian
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yong
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Hui-Bao
authors.initials: HB
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D000818:Animals; D002452:Cell Count; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood; D004249:DNA Damage; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008062:Lipofuscin / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D009929:Organ Size; D051381:Rats; D011914:Rats, Inbred BN; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species / Q000378:metabolism; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013737:Testis / Q000473:pathology*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
chemical_list: D008062:Lipofuscin; D017382:Reactive Oxygen Species; D013739:Testosterone; D003345:Corticosterone