Catecholamine-induced stimulation of testosterone production by Leydig cells from fetal mouse testis.

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 beta-antagonist, inhibited L-isoproterenol-stimulated testosterone production in a dose-dependent manner, while phentolamine, an alpha-adrenergic antagonist, had no effect. These results suggest that catecholamines may play an essential role in the control of testicular steroidogenesis during fetal development.