In contrast to the strong stimulation of testosterone production by hCG, L-isoproterenol had little effect on freshly isolated Leydig cells from 18-day-old mouse fetuses. However, the ability of fetal Leydig cells to respond to L-isoproterenol exposure increased during culture (0-24 h). The response of the cultured cells to L-isoproterenol was dose-dependent with an ED50 at 2 x 10-7 M. Adrenaline and noradrenaline at a concentration of 10-5 M also increased testosterone production by cultured fetal Leydig cells. DL-Propranolol, a β-antagonist, inhibited L-isoproterenol-stimulated testosterone production in a dose-dependent manner, while phentolamine, an α-adrenergic antagonist, had no effect. These results suggest that catecholamines may play an essential role in the control of testicular steroidogenesis during fetal development.
CITATION STYLE
Pointis, G., & Latreille, M. T. (1987). Catecholamine-induced stimulation of testosterone production by Leydig cells from fetal mouse testis. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility, 80(1), 321–326. https://doi.org/10.1530/jrf.0.0800321
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