scholarly journals Regulation of seminiferous tubule-associated stem Leydig cells in adult rat testes

2016 ◽  
Vol 113 (10) ◽  
pp. 2666-2671 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaoheng Li ◽  
Zhao Wang ◽  
Zhenming Jiang ◽  
Jingjing Guo ◽  
Yuxi Zhang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Leydig Cell ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Paracrine Factors ◽  
Adult Testis ◽  
Adult Leydig Cells ◽  
Neonatal Testis

Testicular Leydig cells are the primary source of testosterone in males. Adult Leydig cells have been shown to arise from stem cells present in the neonatal testis. Once established, adult Leydig cells turn over only slowly during adult life, but when these cells are eliminated experimentally from the adult testis, new Leydig cells rapidly reappear. As in the neonatal testis, stem cells in the adult testis are presumed to be the source of the new Leydig cells. As yet, the mechanisms involved in regulating the proliferation and differentiation of these stem cells remain unknown. We developed a unique in vitro system of cultured seminiferous tubules to assess the ability of factors from the seminiferous tubules to regulate the proliferation of the tubule-associated stem cells, and their subsequent entry into the Leydig cell lineage. The proliferation of the stem Leydig cells was stimulated by paracrine factors including Desert hedgehog (DHH), basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and activin. Suppression of proliferation occurred with transforming growth factor β (TGF-β). The differentiation of the stem cells was regulated positively by DHH, lithium- induced signaling, and activin, and negatively by TGF-β, PDGFBB, and FGF2. DHH functioned as a commitment factor, inducing the transition of stem cells to the progenitor stage and thus into the Leydig cell lineage. Additionally, CD90 (Thy1) was found to be a unique stem cell surface marker that was used to obtain purified stem cells by flow cytometry.

scholarly journals Comparison of cell types in the rat Leydig cell lineage after ethane dimethanesulfonate treatment

Reproduction ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 145 (4) ◽  
pp. 371-380 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjing Guo ◽  
Hongyu Zhou ◽  
Zhijian Su ◽  
Bingbing Chen ◽  
Guimin Wang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Leydig Cell ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Pubertal Development ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase ◽  
Mrna Levels ◽  
Steroidogenic Enzymes ◽  
Isolated Cells ◽  
Adult Leydig Cells

The objective of this study was to purify cells in the Leydig cell lineage following regeneration after ethane dimethanesulfonate (EDS) treatment and compare their steroidogenic capacity. Regenerated progenitor (RPLCs), immature (RILCs), and adult Leydig cells (RALCs) were isolated from testes 21, 28 and 56 days after EDS treatment respectively. Production rates for androgens including androsterone and 5α-androstane-17β, 3α-diol (DIOL), testosterone and androstenedione were measured in RPLCs, RILCs and RALCs in media after 3-h in vitro culture with 100 ng/ml LH. Steady-state mRNA levels of steroidogenic enzymes and their activities were measured in freshly isolated cells. Compared to adult Leydig cells (ALCs) isolated from normal 90-day-old rat testes, which primarily produce testosterone (69.73%), RPLCs and RILCs primarily produced androsterone (70.21%) and DIOL (69.79%) respectively. Leydig cells isolated from testes 56 days post-EDS showed equivalent capacity of steroidogenesis to ALCs and primarily produced testosterone (72.90%). RPLCs had cholesterol side-chain cleavage enzyme, 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 and 17α-hydroxylase but had almost no detectable 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 activities, while RILCs had increased 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 and 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 1 activities. Because RPLCs and RILCs had higher 5α-reductase 1 and 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase activities they produced mainly 5α-reduced androgens. Real-time PCR confirmed the similar trends for the expressions of these steroidogenic enzymes. In conclusion, the purified RPLCs, RILCs and RALCs are similar to those of their counterparts during rat pubertal development.

The increased number of Leydig cells by di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate comes from the differentiation of stem cells into Leydig cell lineage in the adult rat testis

Toxicology ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 306 ◽  
pp. 9-15 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jingjing Guo ◽  
Xing-Wang Li ◽  
Yong Liang ◽  
Yufei Ge ◽  
Xiaomin Chen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Leydig Cell ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Rat Testis ◽  
Adult Rat ◽  
Ethylhexyl Phthalate

scholarly journals Leptin Secreted in the Testicular Microenvironment Promotes the Endogenous Function of Leydig Cells Through Hedgehog Signaling Pathway

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. A769-A769
Author(s):  
Himanshu Arora ◽  
Madhumita Parmar ◽  
Kajal Khodamoradi ◽  
Rehana Qureshi ◽  
Joshua M Hare ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Signaling Pathway ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Hedgehog Signaling ◽  
Stem Cell Differentiation ◽  
Health Concern ◽  
Myoid Cells ◽  
Paracrine Factors ◽  
Testosterone Production ◽  
Adult Leydig Cells

Abstract Objective: Testosterone deficiency (TD) is a common health concern, affecting around 1 in 5 men globally. However, the factors responsible for TD remain largely unknown. Leydig cells produce testosterone in the testes under the pulsatile control of luteinizing hormone (LH) from the pituitary gland. Leydig stem cells (LSC) have the potential to differentiate into adult Leydig cells, which can increase testosterone levels; however, the factors promoting differentiation are unknown. In the present study we evaluated the paracrine factors released from the testicular microenvironment (TME) (comprised of Sertoli and peritubular myoid cells) that modulate the differentiation of Leydig stem cells to adult Leydig cells. Additionally, we explored the underlying mechanism of action of these paracrine factors. Methods: Tissue samples were obtained from a total of 13 men with testicular failure, who underwent testis biopsies for sperm retrieval. Using an IRB approved protocol, about 10mg of testicular tissue from each sample were processed for LSC isolation, culturing, and characterization. Cytokine antibody array was performed to identify the paracrine factors released by Sertoli and peritubular myoid cells using unsorted and CD146+ve sorted cells. The cells were treated with hedgehog signaling agonist and antagonist to validate the specificity of paracrine factors identified. Immunostaining was performed to evaluate changes at the protein level. Flow cytometry was performed to study the shift in the population of cells post leptin treatment. GraphPad Prism (GraphPad Software) was used for statistical analysis. Results: This study revealed that the TME plays an instrumental role in Leydig stem cell differentiation and testosterone production through regulation of the desert hedgehog (DHH) signaling pathway. TME-secreted leptin induces LSC differentiation and increases testosterone production. However, these effects are inversely concentration-dependent: positive at low leptin doses and negative at higher leptin doses. Mechanistically, leptin acts on LSCs upstream of DHH in a unidirectional fashion, as DHH gain or loss of function was shown to have no effects on Leptin levels. Conclusions: These findings identify leptin as a key paracrine factor released by cells within the TME that modulate LSC differentiation and testosterone production from adult Leydig cells, a finding that is key to developing new niche therapies for TD.

scholarly journals Leydig Cell Loss and Spermatogenic Arrest in Platelet-Derived Growth Factor (Pdgf)-a–Deficient Mice

2000 ◽  
Vol 149 (5) ◽  
pp. 1019-1026 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lucio Gnessi ◽  
Sabrina Basciani ◽  
Stefania Mariani ◽  
Mario Arizzi ◽  
Giovanni Spera ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Growth Factor ◽  
Leydig Cell ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Cell Loss ◽  
Platelet Derived Growth Factor ◽  
Developmental Expression ◽  
Gonad Differentiation ◽  
Testicular Size ◽  
Deficient Mice

Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)- A–deficient male mice were found to develop progressive reduction of testicular size, Leydig cells loss, and spermatogenic arrest. In normal mice, the PDGF-A and PDGF-Rα expression pattern showed positive cells in the seminiferous epithelium and in interstitial mesenchymal cells, respectively. The testicular defects seen in PDGF-A−/− mice, combined with the normal developmental expression of PDGF-A and PDGF-Rα, indicate that through an epithelial-mesenchymal signaling, the PDGF-A gene is essential for the development of the Leydig cell lineage. These findings suggest that PDGF-A may play a role in the cascade of genes involved in male gonad differentiation. The Leydig cell loss and the spermatogenic impairment in the mutant mice are reminiscent of cases of testicular failure in man.

scholarly journals The Leydig Cell MEK/ERK Pathway Is Critical for Maintaining a Functional Population of Adult Leydig Cells and for Fertility

2011 ◽  
Vol 25 (7) ◽  
pp. 1211-1222 ◽  
Author(s):  
Soichi Yamashita ◽  
Ping Tai ◽  
Jean Charron ◽  
CheMyong Ko ◽  
Mario Ascoli
Keyword(s):  
Leydig Cell ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Erk Pathway ◽  
Adult Leydig Cells

scholarly journals Propagation of bovine spermatogonial stem cells in vitro

Reproduction ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 136 (5) ◽  
pp. 543-557 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pedro M Aponte ◽  
Takeshi Soda ◽  
Katja J Teerds ◽  
S Canan Mizrak ◽  
Henk J G van de Kant ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Cultured Cells ◽  
Somatic Cells ◽  
Type A ◽  
Spermatogonial Stem Cells ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Type A Spermatogonia ◽  
Stimulation Of

The access to sufficient numbers of spermatogonial stem cells (SSCs) is a prerequisite for the study of their regulation and further biomanipulation. A specialized medium and several growth factors were tested to study thein vitrobehavior of bovine type A spermatogonia, a cell population that includes the SSCs and can be specifically stained for the lectin Dolichos biflorus agglutinin. During short-term culture (2 weeks), colonies appeared, the morphology of which varied with the specific growth factor(s) added. Whenever the stem cell medium was used, round structures reminiscent of sectioned seminiferous tubules appeared in the core of the colonies. Remarkably, these round structures always contained type A spermatogonia. When leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), or fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) were added, specific effects on the numbers and arrangement of somatic cells were observed. However, the number of type A spermatogonia was significantly higher in cultures to which glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) was added and highest when GDNF, LIF, EGF, and FGF2 were all present. The latter suggests that a proper stimulation of the somatic cells is necessary for optimal stimulation of the germ cells in culture. Somatic cells present in the colonies included Sertoli cells, peritubular myoid cells, and a few Leydig cells. A transplantation experiment, using nude mice, showed the presence of SSCs among the cultured cells and in addition strongly suggested a more than 10 000-fold increase in the number of SSCs after 30 days of culture. These results demonstrate that bovine SSC self-renew in our specialized bovine culture system and that this system can be used for the propagation of these cells.

scholarly journals Analyzing Impetus of Regenerative Cellular Therapeutics in Myocardial Infarction

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1277 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ming-Long Chang ◽  
Yu-Jui Chiu ◽  
Jian-Sing Li ◽  
Khoot-Peng Cheah ◽  
Hsiu-Hu Lin
Keyword(s):  
Myocardial Infarction ◽  
Stem Cells ◽  
Cardiac Fibroblasts ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Specific Cell ◽  
Paracrine Factors ◽  
Differentiation Potential ◽  
Cell Based Therapy ◽  
Organ Specific ◽  
Made In

Both vasculature and myocardium in the heart are excessively damaged following myocardial infarction (MI), hence therapeutic strategies for treating MI hearts should concurrently aim for true cardiac repair by introducing new cardiomyocytes to replace lost or injured ones. Of them, mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have long been considered a promising candidate for cell-based therapy due to their unspecialized, proliferative differentiation potential to specific cell lineage and, most importantly, their capacity of secreting beneficial paracrine factors which further promote neovascularization, angiogenesis, and cell survival. As a consequence, the differentiated MSCs could multiply and replace the damaged tissues to and turn into tissue- or organ-specific cells with specialized functions. These cells are also known to release potent anti-fibrotic factors including matrix metalloproteinases, which inhibit the proliferation of cardiac fibroblasts, thereby attenuating fibrosis. To achieve the highest possible therapeutic efficacy of stem cells, the other interventions, including hydrogels, electrical stimulations, or platelet-derived biomaterials, have been supplemented, which have resulted in a narrow to broad range of outcomes. Therefore, this article comprehensively analyzed the progress made in stem cells and combinatorial therapies to rescue infarcted myocardium.

scholarly journals Influence of long-term dietary administration of procymidone, a fungicide with anti-androgenic effects, or the phytoestrogen genistein to rats on the pituitary–gonadal axis and Leydig cell steroidogenesis

2005 ◽  
Vol 187 (1) ◽  
pp. 117-124 ◽  
Author(s):  
K Svechnikov ◽  
V Supornsilchai ◽  
M-L Strand ◽  
A Wahlgren ◽  
D Seidlova-Wuttke ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cytochrome P450 ◽  
Serum Level ◽  
Leydig Cell ◽  
Leydig Cells ◽  
Ex Vivo ◽  
Elevated Serum ◽  
Seminiferous Tubules ◽  
Dibutyryl Camp

Procymidone is a fungicide with anti-androgenic properties, widely used to protect fruits from fungal infection. Thereby it contaminates fruit products prepared for human consumption. Genistein-containing soy products are increasingly used as food additives with health-promoting properties. Therefore we examined the effects of long-term dietary administration (3 months) of the anti-androgen procymidone (26.4 mg/animal per day) or the phytoestrogen genistein (21.1 mg/animal per day) to rats on the pituitary-gonadal axis in vivo, as well as on Leydig cell steroidogenesis and on spermatogenesis ex vivo. The procymidone-containing diet elevated serum levels of LH and testosterone and, furthermore, Leydig cells isolated from procymidone-treated animals displayed an enhanced capacity for producing testosterone in response to stimulation by hCG or dibutyryl cAMP, as well as elevated expression of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), cytochrome P450 side-chain cleavage (P450 scc) and cytochrome P450 17α (P450c17). In contrast, the rate of DNA synthesis during stages VIII and IX of spermatogenesis in segments of seminiferous tubules isolated from genistein-treated rats was decreased without accompanying changes in the serum level of either LH or testosterone. Nonetheless, genistein did suppress the ex vivo steroidogenic response of Leydig cells to hCG or dibutyryl cAMP by down-regulating their expression of P450 scc. Considered together, our present findings demonstrate that long-term dietary administration of procymidone or genistein to rats exerts different effects on the pituitary–gonadal axis in vivo and on Leydig cell steroidogenesis ex vivo. Possibly as a result of disruption of hormonal feedback control due to its anti-androgenic action, procymidone activates this endocrine axis, thereby causing hyper-gonadotropic activation of testicular steroidogenesis. In contrast, genistein influences spermatogenesis and significantly inhibits Leydig cell steroidogenesis ex vivo without altering the serum level of either LH or testosterone.

scholarly journals Fibroblast growth factor receptor-3 regulates Paneth cell lineage allocation and accrual of epithelial stem cells during murine intestinal development

2009 ◽  
Vol 297 (1) ◽  
pp. G168-G178 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alda Vidrich ◽  
Jenny M. Buzan ◽  
Brooks Brodrick ◽  
Chibuzo Ilo ◽  
Leigh Bradley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Stem Cells ◽  
Growth Factor ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor ◽  
Fibroblast Growth Factor Receptor ◽  
Paneth Cell ◽  
Cell Lineage ◽  
Growth Factor Receptor ◽  
Intestinal Development ◽  
Fibroblast Growth ◽  
Epithelial Stem Cells

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR-3) is expressed in the lower crypt epithelium, where stem cells of the intestine reside. The role of FGFR-3 signaling in regulating features of intestinal morphogenesis was examined in FGFR-3-null (FGFR-3−/−) mice. FGFR-3−/− mice had only about half the number of intestinal crypts and a marked decrease in the number of functional clonogenic stem cells, as assessed by an in vivo microcolony-forming assay, compared with wild-type littermates. A marked deficit in allocation of progenitor cells to Paneth cell differentiation was noted, although all the principal epithelial lineages were represented in FGFR-3−/− mice. The total cellular content and nuclear localization of β-catenin protein were reduced in FGFR-3−/− mice, as was expression of cyclin D1 and matrix metalloproteinase-7, major downstream targets of β-catenin/T cell factor-4 (Tcf-4) signaling. Activation of FGFR-3 in Caco-2 cells, an intestinal epithelial cell line, abrogated the fall in β-catenin/Tcf-4 signaling activity that is normally observed in these cells as cultures become progressively more confluent. These findings are consistent with the hypothesis that, during intestinal development, FGFR-3 signaling regulates crypt epithelial stem cell expansion and crypt morphogenesis, as well as Paneth cell lineage specification, through β-catenin/Tcf-4-dependent and -independent pathways.

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