| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
|
|
|
|||||||
|
|||||||||
Articles |
a Department of Animal Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996
b Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois 60612
c University Department of Reproductive and Developmental Sciences, University of Edinburgh, Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh EH397W, United Kingdom
Leydig cells of the adult rat testis differentiate postnatally from spindle-shaped cells in the testis interstitium during the neonatal-prepubertal period. Which spindle-shaped cell types are the precursor for Leydig cells and the stimulus for initiation of their differentiation are, however, two unresolved issues. In the present study, our objectives were to identify unequivocally which spindle-shaped cells are the precursors to Leydig cells and to test whether the initiation of their differentiation into Leydig cells depends on LH. Testes from fifteen groups of Sprague-Dawley rats (n = 4 per group) from 7–21 days of age were fixed in Bouin solution and embedded in paraffin. Immunoexpression of 3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3ßHSD), cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage (P450scc), 17
-hydroxylase cytochrome P450 (P450c17), and LH receptors (LHR) in interstitial cells (other than fetal Leydig cells) was observed using the avidin biotin method. Of all spindle-shaped cell types in the testis interstitium, only the peritubular mesenchymal cells showed positive immunolabeling for all three steroidogenic enzymes, beginning from the 11th postnatal day. All three enzymes were expressed simultaneously in these cells, and their numbers increased significantly thereafter. Immunoexpression of LHR in a few of these cells was just evident for the first time on postnatal Day 12 (i.e., after acquiring the steroidogenic enzyme activity). Their numbers gradually increased with time. The number of immunolabeled cells per 1000 interstitial cells (excluding fetal Leydig cells and capillary endothelial cells) was not significantly different for the three steroidogenic enzymes tested at all ages; however, a lower value was observed for LHR at each time-point. Based on these observations, we suggest that 1) the precursor cell type for the adult generation of Leydig cells in the postnatal rat testis is the peritubular mesenchymal cells, 2) precursor cells acquire 3ß-HSD, P450scc, and P450c17 enzyme activity simultaneously during Leydig cell differentiation, and 3) onset of precursor cell differentiation during Leydig cell development does not depend on LH.
1 Supported by grants from COE R180101-08 and UT Minkel to C.M.H., HD27571 to D.B.H., and HD35544 to J.I.M.
2 Correspondence: C. Mendis-Handagama, Department of Animal Science, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Tennessee, 2407 River Drive, Knoxville, TN 37996. FAX: 423 974 2215; mendisc{at}utk.edu
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  E. Rijntjes, H. J. M. Swarts, R. Anand-Ivell, and K. J. Teerds Prenatal induced chronic dietary hypothyroidism delays but does not block adult-type Leydig cell development Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, February 1, 2009; 296(2): E305 - E314. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 G. Cacciola, T. Chioccarelli, K. Mackie, R. Meccariello, C. Ledent, S. Fasano, R. Pierantoni, and G. Cobellis Expression of Type-1 Cannabinoid Receptor During Rat Postnatal Testicular Development: Possible Involvement in Adult Leydig Cell Differentiation Biol Reprod, October 1, 2008; 79(4): 758 - 765. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P J O'Shaughnessy, I D Morris, and P J Baker Leydig cell re-generation and expression of cell signaling molecules in the germ cell-free testis Reproduction, June 1, 2008; 135(6): 851 - 858. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. J Teerds, E. Rijntjes, M. B Veldhuizen-Tsoerkan, F. F G Rommerts, and M. de Boer-Brouwer The development of rat Leydig cell progenitors in vitro: how essential is luteinising hormone? J. Endocrinol., September 1, 2007; 194(3): 579 - 593. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P.-J. He, M. Hirata, N. Yamauchi, S. Hashimoto, and M.-a. Hattori The disruption of circadian clockwork in differentiating cells from rat reproductive tissues as identified by in vitro real-time monitoring system J. Endocrinol., June 1, 2007; 193(3): 413 - 420. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S M L C Mendis-Handagama, H B S Ariyaratne, L Mrkonjich, and R Ivell Expression of insulin-like peptide 3 in the postnatal rat Leydig cell lineage: timing and effects of triiodothyronine-treatment Reproduction, February 1, 2007; 133(2): 479 - 485. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R.-S. Ge, Q. Dong, C. M. Sottas, H. Chen, B. R. Zirkin, and M. P. Hardy Gene Expression in Rat Leydig Cells During Development from the Progenitor to Adult Stage: A Cluster Analysis Biol Reprod, June 1, 2005; 72(6): 1405 - 1415. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M. S. Davidoff, R. Middendorff, G. Enikolopov, D. Riethmacher, A. F. Holstein, and D. Muller Progenitor cells of the testosterone-producing Leydig cells revealed J. Cell Biol., December 6, 2004; 167(5): 935 - 944. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F.-p. Zhang, T. Pakarainen, F. Zhu, M. Poutanen, and I. Huhtaniemi Molecular Characterization of Postnatal Development of Testicular Steroidogenesis in Luteinizing Hormone Receptor Knockout Mice Endocrinology, March 1, 2004; 145(3): 1453 - 1463. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Brennan, C. Tilmann, and B. Capel Pdgfr-alpha mediates testis cord organization and fetal Leydig cell development in the XY gonad Genes & Dev., March 15, 2003; 17(6): 800 - 810. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H. H.-C. Yao, W. Whoriskey, and B. Capel Desert Hedgehog/Patched 1 signaling specifies fetal Leydig cell fate in testis organogenesis Genes & Dev., June 1, 2002; 16(11): 1433 - 1440. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J.-J. Chen, Y. Lukyanenko, and J. C. Hutson 25-Hydroxycholesterol Is Produced by Testicular Macrophages During the Early Postnatal Period and Influences Differentiation of Leydig Cells In Vitro Biol Reprod, May 1, 2002; 66(5): 1336 - 1341. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P.J. O'Shaughnessy, L. Willerton, and P.J. Baker Changes in Leydig Cell Gene Expression During Development in the Mouse Biol Reprod, April 1, 2002; 66(4): 966 - 975. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 P. J. O'Shaughnessy, H. Johnston, L. Willerton, and P. J. Baker Failure of normal adult Leydig cell development in androgen-receptor-deficient mice J. Cell Sci., January 9, 2002; 115(17): 3491 - 3496. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 L. Messika-Zeitoun, L. Gouedard, C. Belville, M. Dutertre, L. Lins, S. Imbeaud, I. A. Hughes, J.-Y. Picard, N. Josso, and N. di Clemente Autosomal Recessive Segregation of a Truncating Mutation of Anti-Mullerian Type II Receptor in a Family Affected by the Persistent Mullerian Duct Syndrome Contrasts with Its Dominant Negative Activity in Vitro J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., September 1, 2001; 86(9): 4390 - 4397. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
S.M.L. Chamindrani Mendis-Handagama and H.B. Siril Ariyaratne Differentiation of the Adult Leydig Cell Population in the Postnatal Testis Biol Reprod, September 1, 2001; 65(3): 660 - 671. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
J. Bouma and J. J. Nagler Estrogen Receptor-{{alpha}} Protein Localization in the Testis of the Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) During Different Stages of the Reproductive Cycle Biol Reprod, July 1, 2001; 65(1): 60 - 65. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F.-P. Zhang, M. Poutanen, J. Wilbertz, and I. Huhtaniemi Normal Prenatal but Arrested Postnatal Sexual Development of Luteinizing Hormone Receptor Knockout (LuRKO) Mice Mol. Endocrinol., January 1, 2001; 15(1): 172 - 183. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. M. Clark, K. K. Garland, and L. D. Russell Desert hedgehog (Dhh) Gene Is Required in the Mouse Testis for Formation of Adult-Type Leydig Cells and Normal Development of Peritubular Cells and Seminiferous Tubules Biol Reprod, December 1, 2000; 63(6): 1825 - 1838. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
H.B. Siril Ariyaratne, J. Ian Mason, and S.M.L. C. Mendis-Handagama Effects of Thyroid and Luteinizing Hormones on the Onset of Precursor Cell Differentiation into Leydig Progenitor Cells in the Prepubertal Rat Testis Biol Reprod, September 1, 2000; 63(3): 898 - 904. [Abstract] [Full Text]
|
|
| HOME | HELP | FEEDBACK | SUBSCRIPTIONS | ARCHIVE | SEARCH | TABLE OF CONTENTS |
