Leydig cell number and function decline as men age, and low testosterone is associated with all "Western" cardio-metabolic disorders. However, whether perturbed androgen action within the adult Leydig cell lineage predisposes individuals to this late-onset degeneration remains unknown. To address this, we generated a novel mouse model in which androgen receptor (AR) is ablated from ∼75% of adul...

The neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and subtypes of GABA receptors were recently identified in adult testes. Since adult Leydig cells possess both the GABA biosynthetic enzyme glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), as well as GABA(A) and GABA(B) receptors, it is possible that GABA may act as auto-/paracrine molecule to regulate Leydig cell function. The present study was aimed to examin...

Testicular macrophages were selectively depleted in the right testes of adult rats by an intratesticular injection of dichloromethylene diphosphonate-containing liposomes (Cl2MDP-lp), whereas the left testes were injected with 0.9% NaCl and served as control. Before or after Leydig cell destruction with ethylene dimethane sulfonate (EDS), treatment with Cl2MDP-lp/NaCl was given at different tim...

The Leydig cells of the testis represent the main source of androgens. The idea of Leydig cells as endocrine cells has been the leading characteristic of this interesting cell population till now. Our studies of the last 2 decades allowed us to reveal a new important feature of Leydig cells that is their obvious similarity with structures of the central and peripheral nervous system. This inclu...

The amount of testosterone (T) secreted by Leydig cells is determined by a balance between T biosynthetic and metabolizing enzyme activities. It has been established that 5alpha-androstan-3alpha,17beta-diol (3alpha-DIOL) is the predominant androgen secreted by the testes of immature rats during days 20-40 postpartum, whereas T is the major androgen by day 56. However, the underlying changes in ...

AIM To further clarify the changes occurred in the testicular capsulotomized rats. METHODS In testicular capsulotomized and sham-operated rats, the cross sectional area, the nucleus diameter and the number of Leydig cells were morphologically analyzed by the Vidas Image Processing System connected to a microscope. RESULTS In the capsulotomized animals, the cross sectional area of Leydig cel...

Background: Tributyltin (TBT) is widely used as an antifouling agent that may cause reproductive toxicity. The mechanism of TBT on Leydig cell development is still unknown. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether a brief exposure to low doses of TBT permanently affects Leydig cell development and to clarify the underlying mechanism. Methods: Adult male Sprague Dawley rats ...

Fibroblast growth factor 9 (FGF9) is a multifunctional polypeptide belonging to the FGF family and has functions related to bone formation, lens-fiber differentiation, nerve development, gap-junction formation and sex determination. In a previous study, we demonstrated that FGF9 stimulates the production of testosterone in mouse Leydig cells. In the present study, we used both primary mouse Ley...

The aim of this study was to examine morphometric data of Leydig cells of 10 male chinchillas. Testes, cut into 5-microm thick sections, were stained using the p.a.S. and Masson's methods. Some 3800 Leydig cells have been evaluated. Their dimensions, as well as the diameters of their nuclei and the distances of the nuclei from the boundaries of the cells, have been measured. The areas of the su...