Sullivan M H, Cooke B A
Biochem J. 1985 Sep 15;230(3):821-4. doi: 10.1042/bj2300821.
As part of an investigation into the role of leukotrienes in steroidogenesis, the formation of leukotriene B4 was investigated in purified Leydig cells from rat testes and from a tumour by using a sensitive radioimmunoassay. Detectable levels were found in both Leydig cell types (70 pg/10(6) cells) and these remain unchanged during incubation for 60 min at 32 degrees C. Addition of the Ca2+ ionophore A23187 increased LTB4 production more than 6-fold within 10 min whereas steroidogenesis was not increased until after 20 min. In the presence of luteinizing hormone or luteinizing hormone releasing hormone agonist no increase in LTB4 was detected in the testis Leydig cells whereas luteinizing hormone stimulated testosterone production from 3.2 +/- 0.1 to 148.9 +/- 7.5 ng/10(6) cells during the same time period. Similar results were obtained with the tumour Leydig cells. The LTB4 was found to be rapidly secreted by the cells in all experiments. The basal and A23187-stimulated levels were inhibited by nordihydroguaiaretic acid, a lipoxygenase inhibitor. It is concluded that LTB4 is produced in Leydig cells and can be stimulated by high calcium levels, but that it is probably not required for the control of steroidogenesis.
作为对白三烯在类固醇生成中作用的研究的一部分，通过使用灵敏的放射免疫分析法，对来自大鼠睾丸和肿瘤的纯化睾丸间质细胞中白三烯B4的形成进行了研究。在两种类型的睾丸间质细胞中均检测到可检测水平（70 pg/10⁶个细胞），并且在32℃孵育60分钟期间这些水平保持不变。添加钙离子载体A23187在10分钟内使LTB4的产生增加了6倍以上，而类固醇生成直到20分钟后才增加。在促黄体生成素或促黄体生成素释放激素激动剂存在的情况下，在睾丸间质细胞中未检测到LTB4增加，而促黄体生成素在同一时间段内刺激睾酮的产生从3.2±0.1增加到148.9±7.5 ng/10⁶个细胞。肿瘤间质细胞也获得了类似的结果。在所有实验中均发现LTB4可被细胞快速分泌。基础水平和A23187刺激的水平均被脂氧合酶抑制剂去甲二氢愈创木酸抑制。结论是LTB4在睾丸间质细胞中产生并且可被高钙水平刺激，但它可能不是类固醇生成调控所必需的。
