title: Expression of chemerin and its receptors in rat testes and its action on testosterone secretion.
abstract: The novel adipokine chemerin plays a role in the regulation of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism, and recent reports of elevated chemerin levels in polycystic ovarian syndrome and preeclampsia have pointed to an emerging role of chemerin in reproduction. We hypothesised that chemerin, like other adipokines, may function to regulate male gonadal steroidogenesis. In this study, we show that chemerin and its three receptors chemokine-like receptor 1 (CMKLR1), G-protein-coupled receptor 1 (GPR1) and chemokine (C-C motif) receptor-like 2 were expressed in male reproductive tracts, liver and white adipose tissue. CMKLR1 and GPR1 proteins were localised specifically in the Leydig cells of human and rat testes by immunohistochemistry. The expression of chemerin and its receptors in rat testes was developmentally regulated and highly expressed in Leydig cells. In vitro treatment with chemerin suppressed the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-induced testosterone production from primary Leydig cells, which was accompanied by the inhibition of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase gene and protein expression. The hCG-activated p44/42 MAPK (Erk1/2) pathway in Leydig cells was also inhibited by chemerin cotreatment. Together, these data suggest that chemerin is a novel regulator of male gonadal steroidogenesis.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory for Reproductive Health, Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shenzhen 518055, China Palo Alto Institute for Research and Education, Veterans Affairs Palo Alto Health Care System, Palo Alto, California 94304, USA Guangdong Key Laboratory of Nanomedicine, Guangdong, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ma
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Yongjun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Ye
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Chen
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gao
authors.forename: Tianxia
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Xiao
authors.forename: Pei-Gen
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Brian A
authors.initials: BA
authors.lastname: Zabel
authors.forename: Jian V
authors.initials: JV
authors.lastname: Zhang
mesh_terms: D054392:Adipokines / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D018925:Chemokines; D006801:Humans; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine / Q000502:physiology*; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled / Q000502:physiology*; D013737:Testis / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D054392:Adipokines; D018925:Chemokines; C109811:Cmklr1 protein, rat; D036341:Intercellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins; C560738:Rarres2 protein, rat; D019707:Receptors, Chemokine; D043562:Receptors, G-Protein-Coupled; D013739:Testosterone
keywords: Leydig cell; adipokine; chemerin; steroidogenesis; testosterone