Primary cultures of Leydig cells from rat, mouse and pig: advantages of porcine cells for the study of gonadotropin regulation of Leydig cell function

Interactions between immature porcine Leydig and Sertoli cells in vitro. An ultrastructural and biochemical study

Interactions between Leydig and Sertoli cells, as well as a stimulatory effect of FSH on Leydig cell activity, have been reported in many studies. In order to investigate these interactions, the ultrastructure of immature pig Leydig cells under different culture conditions has been studied. When cultured alone in a chemically defined medium, there is a marked regression of the Leydig cell smooth endoplasmic reticulum and a swelling of the mitochondria. Addition of FSH or hCG does not prevent these phenomena. Co-culturing of Leydig cells with Sertoli cells from the same animal maintains the smooth endoplasmic reticulum at the level seen in vivo and in freshly isolated Leydig cells. The addition of FSH to the co-culture stimulates its development and increases Leydig cell activity, as assessed by an increase in hCG binding sites and an increased steroidogenic response to hCG. These results suggest that Sertoli cells exert a trophic effect on Leydig cells, and that the stimulatory effect of FSH on Leydig cell function is mediated via the Sertoli cells. These results reinforce the concept of a local regulatory control of Leydig cell steroidogenesis.

Effects of FSH on acidic nuclear protein synthesis in cultured pig Sertoli cells

We studied the effect of FHS on nuclear protein synthesis by a primary culture of immature porcine Sertoli cells. The cells were cultured in a chemically defined medium and treated with FSH (50 ng/ml) for various periods (4, 8, 25 and 64 h). About 65 spots (pHi less than 8) were identified by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of the radiolabelled nuclear proteins. After 25 h of FSH treatment, we observed an increase of 5 proteins, a slight decrease of two and a disappearance of one. For the short periods of FSH treatment (4 and 8 h), no effect of FHS on nuclear protein synthesis was observed. After 64 h of FSH treatment (4 and 8 h), no effect of FHS on nuclear protein synthesis was observed. After 64 h of FSH treatment, the synthesis of all nuclear proteins appears to be decreased.

hCG-Increased phosphorylation of proteins in primary culture of Leydig cells: further characterization

Previous studies using monodimensional gel electrophoresis of total cell proteins have shown that hCG was able to increase the phosphorylation of at least 6 proteins in cultured porcine Leydig cells. By using subcellular fractionation and 2D gel electrophoresis, we now show that most of these proteins, whose phosphorylation was increased by hCG, are basic nuclear proteins. In addition, hCG also increases the phosphorylation of microsomal proteins in particular ribosomal protein S6. Moreover no phosphoproteins were detected in the cytosol.

Gonadotropin receptor complexes and free receptors in porcine Leydig cell cultures during recovery from hCG stimulation

Free and occupied gonadotropin receptors were studied in vitro in porcine Leydig cells culture maintained in chemically defined medium. Free receptors were evaluated by the binding capacity for 125I-hCG. hCG bound molecules (or hCG receptor complexes) were evaluated using immunocytochemical visualization on fixed cells. Exposure to hCG for 16 hours (.5 to 50 ng/ml) induced the disappearance of free receptors. After removal of the hormone, the return to control levels was observed at 48 and 72 hours. Visualization of hCG bound at the cell surface indicates that, following continuous exposure to gonadotropins for 48 hours, hCG molecules are still present on the cell. Following short-time exposure (1 h) to hCG and 48 hrs washing the number of stained cells is very close to the initial value suggesting that the occupied sites (at 48 hours) represent the initial hormone receptor complexes. These results indicate that, during prolonged incubation, hCG binding is not reversible, that the half-life of some of the complexes at the cell surface is very long and that the receptors recovery is slow and is probably the result of a de novo synthesis.

Effects of gossypol on rat Sertoli and Leydig cells in primary culture and established cell lines

In order to evaluate the direct effect of gossypol on testicular cells, we used primary cultures of rat Leydig and Sertoli cells. No alteration in Leydig cell survival, morphology, or testosterone production was seen during three days of culture with up to 3 microgram/ml gossypol. With higher concentrations (3 to 7 microgram/ml) of gossypol, there was a reduction in cell survival but no change in androgen secretion. In contrast, there was a marked change in Sertoli cell morphology after five days of gossypol treatment. Large vacuoles and electron dense granules appeared in the cytoplasm, but these effects were reversed within six days of removing gossypol from the medium. There was a significant decrease in androgen binding protein (ABP) secretion by Sertoli cells in the presence of gossypol. We also tested the effect of gossypol on the growth of three established cell lines. Two Sertoli-derived cell lines, TM4 and TR-ST, were more sensitive than a Leydig-derived cell line (TM3). These results suggest that, of the somatic cell types in the testis, the Sertoli cells are most sensitive to gossypol.

Androgen production in primary culture of immature porcine Leydig cells

The present paper examines the steroidogenic responsiveness of immature porcine Leydig cells in primary culture. Both testosterone (T) and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) secretion were measured under basal conditions and after stimulation with human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (25 ng/ml). In medium supplemented with insulin, transferrin, epidermal growth factor (3H) and 0.1% calf serum, cells survived 3-5 days in culture. The production of steroids (under hCG stimulation) is poor on day 0-1 of the culture. On day 2-4 basal T and DHAS levels are 1.9 and 17.0 ng/10(6) cells/24 h. The addition of hCG stimulated T and DHAS production 19- and 6-fold respectively and the average productions were 37 and 109 ng/10(6) cells/24 h. Increasing the serum to 0.5% did not change the viability of the cultures, but increased hCG stimulated T and DHAS production (183 and 188 ng/10(6) cells/24 h). The addition of alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E) to 0.1% calf serum led to a 4-fold increase in stimulated T production (142 ng/10(6) cells/24 h) and maintained full cell viability for more than 5 days. Measurement of 3 beta-ol steroid dehydrogenase activity indicates that the amount of enzyme is 4 times higher at day 2 than at day 0 and 1 (with or without hCG), suggesting a spontaneous maturation of the cells in culture. This might explain the increased T production with time in culture. In cumulative experiments (24 h) the cells do not seem to be desensitized to hCG stimulation following prolonged exposure to 25 ng hCG since the daily steroid production is increasing with time in culture. However, kinetic studies show that steroidogenesis is not linear over a 24 h period. In cumulative experiments the steroid production stops between 12 and 16 h following hCG exposure (5 and 100 ng/ml) and resumes following a medium change. These results suggest that some inhibitory compounds are accumulated in the medium and are controlling the Leydig cell function. Moreover high doses of hCG (100 ng/ml) result in a lower production of steroids and an earlier plateau in the case of DHAS. These results demonstrate that porcine Leydig cells can live and differentiate in hormone- and vitamin-supplemented medium and that auto-feedback mechanisms inhibiting steroid accumulation take place under in vitro conditions.

Steroidogenesis of cultured purified pig Leydig cells: secretion and effects of estrogens

Using a primary culture of purified immature pig Leydig cells we have demonstrated: (1) that during the first 3 days of culture there is a 'spontaneous' maturation of the steroidogenic response to hCG, as expressed by a 50-fold increase of the steroidogenic capacity, an increased secretion of both dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHAS) and testosterone (T), a shift of the DHAS/T ratio (5 on day 0 vs. 0.5 on day 3) without significant changes in the number of hCG-binding sites; (2) that purified cells, on day 3 following hCG stimulation, secrete large amounts of T and small amounts of E2 (T/E2 congruent to 150) and detectable amounts of estrone, while crude pig interstitial cells under the same conditions secrete less T but 40-50 times more estrogens (T/estrogens congruent to 1.5); (3) that the steroidogenic responsiveness of purified Leydig cells is not impaired by E2 treatment, in spite of the fact that Leydig cells contain specific estradiol receptors (approximately 10000 sites/cell). These data suggest that in this model the main source of testicular estrogens are not Leydig cell but some other testicular cell types, and that the lack of effect of estrogens on pig Leydig cell steroidogenesis is not due to absence of estrogen receptors.

Steroid metabolism by purified adult rat Leydig cells in primary culture

To characterize Leydig cell steroidogensis, we examined the metabolism of [3H]pregnenolone (3 beta-hydroxy-5-pregnen-20-one) to androgens in the presence and absence of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) as a function of culture duration. Approximately 20-30% of the (3H)pregnenolone was converted to testosterone (17 beta-hydroxy-4-androsten-3-one) by purified Leydig cells at 0, 3 and 5 days (d) of culture. Androstenedione (4-androstene-3,17-dione) and dihydrotestosterone (17 beta-hydroxy-5 alpha-androstan-3-one) were also produced while on day 5 of culture, significant amounts of progesterone (4-pregnene-3,20-dione) were isolated. The delta 5 intermediates, 17-hydroxypregnenolone (3 beta, 17-dihydroxy-5-pregnen-20-one) and dehydroepiandrosterone (3 beta-hydroxy-5-androsten-17-one), accounted for less than 1% of substrate conversion, indicating a clear preference for Leydig cells to metabolize (3H)pregnenolone via the delta 4 pathway. On day 0 of culture, unidentified metabolites considered of predominately polar steroids while on day 5 of culture, the unidentified metabolites consisted of predominately nonpolar steroids. In the presence of hCG, (3H-pregnenolone metabolism did not differ from basal on day 0 or 3 of culture. HCG increased the conversion of pregnenolone to progesterone and 17-hydroxyprogesterone (17-hydroxy-4-pregnene-3,20-dione) on 5d. This suggests that Leydig cells cultured for 5d have decreased C17-20 desmolase activity or that hCG acutely stimulates 3 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase and delta 5-delta 5 isomerase activities.