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Anand-Ivell R, Heng K, Antonio L, Bartfai G, Casanueva FF, Maggi M, O'Neill TW, Punab M, Rastrelli G, Slowikowska-Hilczer J, Tournoy J, Vanderschueren D, Wu FC, Huhtaniemi IT, Ivell R. Insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) as an indicator of leydig cell insufficiency (LCI) in Middle-aged and older men with hypogonadism: reference range and threshold. Aging Male 2024; 27:2346322. [PMID: 38676285 DOI: 10.1080/13685538.2024.2346322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/16/2024] [Accepted: 04/17/2024] [Indexed: 04/28/2024] Open
Abstract
Insulin-like peptide 3 (INSL3) is a circulating biomarker for Leydig cell functional capacity in men, also indicating Leydig Cell Insufficiency (LCI) and potential primary hypogonadism. Using results from large cohort studies we explore sources of biological and technical variance, and establish a reference range for adult men. It is constitutively secreted with little within-individual variation and reflects testicular capacity to produce testosterone. The main INSL3 assays available indicate good concordance with low technical variance; there is no effect of ethnicity. INSL3 declines with age from 35 years at about 15% per decade. Like low calculated free testosterone, and to a lesser extent low total testosterone, reduced INSL3 is significantly associated with increasing age-related morbidity, including lower overall sexual function, reflecting LCI. Consequently, low INSL3 (≤0.4 ng/ml; ca. <2 SD from the population mean) might serve as an additional biochemical marker in the assessment of functional hypogonadism (late-onset hypogonadism, LOH) where testosterone is in the borderline low range. Excluding individuals with low LCI (INSL3 ≤ 0.4 ng/ml) leads to an age-independent (> 35 years) reference range (serum) for INSL3 in the eugonadal population of 0.4 - 2.3 ng/ml, with low INSL3 prospectively identifying individuals at risk of increased future morbidity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Kee Heng
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
| | - Leen Antonio
- Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Leuven, KU, Belgium
- Department of Endocrinology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Gyorgy Bartfai
- Department of Obstetrics, Gynaecology and Andrology, Albert Szent-Gyorgy Medical University, Szeged, Hungary
| | - Felipe F Casanueva
- Department of Medicine, Santiago de Compostela University, Complejo Hospitalario Universitario de Santiago (IDIS), CIBER de Fisiopatología Obesidad y Nutricion (CB06/03), Instituto Salud Carlos III, Santiago de Compostela, Spain
| | - Mario Maggi
- Endocrinology and Andrology Unit, "Mario Serio" Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | - Terence W O'Neill
- Centre for Epidemiology Versus Arthritis, The University of Manchester & NIHR Manchester Biomedical Research Centre, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Margus Punab
- Andrology Clinic, Tartu University Hospital, and Institute of Clinical Medicine, and Institute of Biomedicine and Translational Medicine, University of Tartu, Tartu, Estonia
| | - Giulia Rastrelli
- Endocrinology and Andrology Unit, "Mario Serio" Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences, University of Florence, Florence, Italy
| | | | - Jos Tournoy
- Department of Geriatrics, University Hospitals Leuven, and Department of Public Health and Primary Care, KU Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Dirk Vanderschueren
- Department of Chronic Diseases and Metabolism, Laboratory of Clinical and Experimental Endocrinology, Leuven, KU, Belgium
- Department of Endocrinology, University Hospitals Leuven, Leuven, Belgium
| | - Frederick Cw Wu
- Department of Endocrinology, Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust, Manchester, UK
| | - Ilpo T Huhtaniemi
- Institute of Reproductive and Developmental, Department of Metabolism, Digestion and Reproduction, Imperial College London, Hammersmith Campus, London, UK
| | - Richard Ivell
- School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, UK
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Schneck NA, Mortezavi L, Olzinski AR, Posavec D, Jolivette LJ, Sikorski TW, Zhang SS, Schnackenberg CG, Licea-Perez H. Development of an LC-MS/MS assay for quantification of intact INSL3 in rat plasma. Bioanalysis 2023; 15:1169-1178. [PMID: 37676652 DOI: 10.4155/bio-2023-0120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 09/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background: Relatively large disulfide-linked polypeptides can serve as signaling molecules for a diverse array of biological processes and may be studied in animal models to investigate their function in vivo. The aim of this work was to develop an LC-MS/MS assay to measure a model peptide, INSL3, in rat plasma. Results: A dual enrichment strategy incorporating both protein precipitation and solid phase extraction was utilized to isolate INSL3 from rat plasma, followed by targeted LC-MS/MS detection. The method was able to measure full-length INSL3 (6.1 kDa) down to 0.2 ng/ml with acceptable accuracy and precision. Conclusion: The final assay was applied to support an exploratory pharmacokinetic study to evaluate steady-state concentrations of dosed INSL3 in rat plasma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A Schneck
- Bioanalysis, Immunogenicity & Biomarkers, GSK, 1250 S. Collegeville Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Lela Mortezavi
- Bioanalysis, Immunogenicity & Biomarkers, GSK, 1250 S. Collegeville Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Alan R Olzinski
- Novel Human Genetics Research Unit, GSK, 1250 S. Collegeville Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Diane Posavec
- Novel Human Genetics Research Unit, GSK, 1250 S. Collegeville Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Larry J Jolivette
- Drug Metabolism & Pharmacokinetics, GSK, 1250 S. Collegeville Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Timothy W Sikorski
- Bioanalysis, Immunogenicity & Biomarkers, GSK, 1250 S. Collegeville Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
| | - Shan-Shan Zhang
- Therapeutics Division, 23andMe, 349 Oyster Point Blvd, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USA
| | | | - Hermes Licea-Perez
- Bioanalysis, Immunogenicity & Biomarkers, GSK, 1250 S. Collegeville Rd, Collegeville, PA 19426, USA
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Kawate N. Insulin‐like peptide 3 in domestic animals with normal and abnormal reproductive functions, in comparison to rodents and humans. Reprod Med Biol 2022; 21:e12485. [PMID: 36310659 PMCID: PMC9601793 DOI: 10.1002/rmb2.12485] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2022] [Revised: 09/04/2022] [Accepted: 09/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Methods Main findings Conclusion
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Affiliation(s)
- Noritoshi Kawate
- Graduate School of Veterinary Science Osaka Metropolitan University Izumisano Japan
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Ivell R, Alhujaili W, Kohsaka T, Anand-Ivell R. Physiology and evolution of the INSL3/RXFP2 hormone/receptor system in higher vertebrates. Gen Comp Endocrinol 2020; 299:113583. [PMID: 32800774 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2020.113583] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/08/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Although the insulin-like peptide hormone INSL3 and its cognate receptor RXFP2 (relaxin-family peptide receptor 2) have existed throughout chordate evolution, their physiological diversification appears to be linked closely with mammalian emergence and radiation. In contrast, they have been lost in birds and reptiles. Both hormone and receptor are expressed from autosomal genes which have maintained their synteny across vertebrate evolution. Whereas the INSL3 gene comprises only two exons closely linked to the JAK3 gene, RXFP2 is normally encoded by 18 exons. Both genes, however, are subject to alternative splicing to yield a variety of possibly inactive or antagonistic molecules. In mammals, the INSL3-RXFP2 dyad has maintained a probably primitive association with gametogenesis, seen also in fish, whereby INSL3 promotes the survival, growth and differentiation of male germ cells in the testis and follicle development in the ovary. In addition, however, the INSL3/RXFP2 system has adopted a typical 'neohormone' profile, essential for the promotion of internal fertilisation and viviparity; fetal INSL3 is essential for the first phase of testicular descent into a scrotum, and also appears to be associated with male phenotype, in particular horn and skeletal growth. Circulating INSL3 is produced exclusively by the mature testicular Leydig cells in male mammals and acts as a potent biomarker for testis development during fetal and pubertal development as well as in ageing. As such it can be used also to monitor seasonally breeding animals as well as to investigate environmental or lifestyle conditions affecting development. Nevertheless, most information about INSL3 and RXFP2 comes from a very limited selection of species; it will be especially useful to gain further information from a more diverse range of animals, especially those whose evolution has led them to express unusual reproductive phenotypes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Richard Ivell
- School of Bioscience, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, LE2 5RD, UK; School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, LE2 5RD, UK.
| | - Waleed Alhujaili
- School of Bioscience, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington, LE2 5RD, UK
| | - Tetsuya Kohsaka
- Dept. of Applied Life Science, Shizuoka University, 836 Ohya, Suruga-ku, Shizuoka, Japan
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