Fu Hai-yan, Jing Jun, Yi Nan, Yu Shi-chao, Yun Shi-feng, Liang Yuan-jiao, Yao Bing
Reproductive Medical Center, Nanjing General Hospital of Nanjing Military Command, Nanjing, China.
Beijing Da Xue Xue Bao Yi Xue Ban. 2012 Aug 18;44(4):518-23.
This research aims to study the internal mechanism that promotes the testosterone synthesis by StarD7 and Wnt/β-catenin, and explores a new regulatory pathway of testosterone synthesis.
After treated with 1 nmol/L Annexin 5 for 24 h, the culture media were collected for testosterone measurement by chemiluminescence assay. The expressions of StarD7 and β-catenin at mRNA and protein levels were detected by RT-PCR and western blot respectively. The cellular location of β-catenin was identified by immunofluorescence.
Comparing with the control groups, under the treatment with Annexin 5, the level of testosterone raised 176%[(7.83±0.32)vs.(21.6±1.1), P<0.05], StarD7 mRNA in the experimental groups increased 55%[(1.12±0.08)vs.(1.74±0.11), P<0.05], and β-catenin mRNA increased 48%[(1.15±0.08)vs.(1.70±0.05), P<0.05]. At the level of protein, the expression of StarD7 in the experimental groups increased 42%[(1.06±0.09)vs.(1.51±0.07), P<0.05], and β-catenin increased 55%[(1.02± 0.01)vs.(1.58±0.02), P<0.05]. Immunofluorescence identified that β-catenin was accumulation in the nuclear of the rat Leydig cells in the experiment groups cultured with Annexin 5.
StarD7 and β-catenin have both increased significantly at the mRNA and protein levels under treatment with the Annexin 5, and β-catenin were accumulation in the nuclear of the rat Leydig cells. It suggests that StarD7 and β-catenin both regulate the effect of Annexin 5 in testosterone production of rat Leydig cells. This regulation may active the Wnt/β-catenin signal pathway, then increase the expression of the StarD7, eventually raise the progress of the testosterone secretion in rat Leydig cells.
