title: Time-course changes of steroidogenic gene expression and steroidogenesis of rat Leydig cells after acute immobilization stress.
abstract: Leydig cells secrete testosterone, which is essential for male fertility and reproductive health. Stress increases the secretion of glucocorticoid (corticosterone, CORT; in rats), which decreases circulating testosterone levels in part through a direct action by binding to the glucocorticoid receptors (NR3C1) in Leydig cells. The intratesticular CORT level is dependent on oxidative inactivation of glucocorticoid by 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 (HSD11B1) in Leydig cells. In the present study, we investigated the time-course changes of steroidogenic gene expression levels after acute immobilization stress in rats. The plasma CORT levels were significantly increased 0.5, 1, 3 and 6 h after immobilization stress, while plasma testosterone levels were significantly reduced 3 and 6 h, after stress and luteinizing hormone (LH) did not change. Immobilization stress caused the down-regulation of Scarb1, Star and Cyp17a1 expression levels in the rat testis starting at the first hour of stress, ahead of the significant decreases of plasma testosterone levels. Other mRNA levels, including Cyp11a1, Hsd3b1 and Hsd17b3, began to decline after 3 h. Hsd11b1 and Nos2 mRNA levels did not change during the course of stress. Administration of glucocorticoid antagonist RU486 significantly restored plasma testosterone levels. In conclusion, Scarb1, Star and Cyp17a1 expression levels are more sensitive to acute stress, and acute immobilization stress causes the decline of the steroidogenic pathway via elevating the levels of glucocorticoid, which binds to NR3C1 in Leydig cells to inhibit steroidogenic gene expression.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital. linhanwenzhou@wzhealth.com.
authors.forename: Han
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital. yuankaiming@aliyun.com.
authors.forename: Kai-ming
authors.initials: KM
authors.lastname: Yuan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology of School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, Zhejiang, China. zhouhy@wmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Hong-yu
authors.initials: HY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital. butiao999@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Tiao
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Bu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital. suhuinawz@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Huina
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Su
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital. shiwenliu77@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Shiwen
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital. zhuqiqi998@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Qiqi
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Zhu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital. wangyiyan1988@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yiyan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital. huyuanyuan889@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Hu
authors.affiliation: Research Academy of Reproductive Biomedicine, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325000, Zhejiang, China. shanyuanyuan6@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Yuanyuan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shan
authors.affiliation: Department of Pharmacology of School of Pharmacy, Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou 325035, Zhejiang, China. lianqingquanmz@wzmc.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Qing-quan
authors.initials: QQ
authors.lastname: Lian
authors.affiliation: Huzhou Maternity & Child Care Hospital, Huzhou 313000, Zhejiang, China. wuxiaoyun889@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Xiao-yun
authors.initials: XY
authors.lastname: Wu
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology of the Second Affiliated Hospital. renshan_ge@wmu.edu.cn.
authors.forename: Ren-shan
authors.initials: RS
authors.lastname: Ge
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002478:Cells, Cultured; D003345:Corticosterone / Q000097:blood / Q000235:genetics; D005786:Gene Expression Regulation; D006728:Hormones / Q000097:blood* / Q000235:genetics*; D007985:Leydig Cells / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013256:Steroids / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D006728:Hormones; D013256:Steroids; D003345:Corticosterone