Kerr J B, Sharpe R M
Endocrinology. 1985 Jun;116(6):2592-604. doi: 10.1210/endo-116-6-2592.
The effects of FSH on the testes of immature hypophysectomized rats were investigated by comparing functional changes in Leydig cells with changes in their number and morphological appearance. Rats were treated twice daily for 7 days with 0.5 ml saline vehicle, 10 micrograms rat FSH, or 20 ng ovine LH (an equivalent amount of LH known to contaminate the FSH preparation). FSH treatment caused a significant increase in testis weight and stimulated more advanced spermatogenic activity compared to saline or LH treatment. Morphometric analysis of glutaraldehyde perfusion-fixed testes showed no significant increase in Leydig cell number after LH treatment [saline, 4.63 +/- 0.14 million cells; LH, 6.38 +/- 0.55 million mean +/- SE)], but a significant (P less than 0.001) increase after FSH treatment (11.55 +/- 0.79 million). FSH, but not LH or saline, treatment resulted in Leydig cell hypertrophy and ultrastructural features identical to those of adult Leydig cells, these changes being reflected by enhanced hCG- and LHRH agonist-stimulated testosterone production in vitro by whole testes or dispersed interstitial cells. FSH and LH treatment caused minor but significant decreases in LH receptor numbers on dispersed interstitial cells compared to saline treatment. LHRH receptor numbers on interstitial cells were significantly increased only by FSH treatment. It is suggested that since FSH acts only on the seminiferous epithelium, then the hypertrophy, hyperplasia, and functional enhancement of Leydig cells after FSH treatment may be mediated by the secretion of one or more factors from the seminiferous tubules, providing additional evidence to support the view that gonadotropic regulation of testicular function is modulated by local interactions between the seminiferous tubules and the interstitial tissue.
通过比较莱迪希细胞的功能变化及其数量和形态外观的变化，研究了促卵泡激素（FSH）对未成熟垂体切除大鼠睾丸的影响。大鼠每天接受两次治疗，持续7天，分别给予0.5毫升生理盐水载体、10微克大鼠FSH或20纳克绵羊促黄体生成素（LH）（已知污染FSH制剂的等量LH）。与生理盐水或LH治疗相比，FSH治疗导致睾丸重量显著增加，并刺激了更高级的生精活性。对戊二醛灌注固定的睾丸进行形态计量分析表明，LH治疗后莱迪希细胞数量没有显著增加[生理盐水组，46.3±1.4万个细胞；LH组，平均63.8±5.5万个细胞（平均值±标准误）]，但FSH治疗后有显著增加（P<0.001）（115.5±7.9万个细胞）。FSH治疗而非LH或生理盐水治疗导致莱迪希细胞肥大，其超微结构特征与成年莱迪希细胞相同，这些变化反映在整个睾丸或分散的间质细胞体外hCG和促性腺激素释放激素（LHRH）激动剂刺激的睾酮产生增强上。与生理盐水治疗相比，FSH和LH治疗导致分散的间质细胞上LH受体数量轻微但显著减少。间质细胞上的LHRH受体数量仅在FSH治疗后显著增加。有人提出，由于FSH仅作用于生精上皮，那么FSH治疗后莱迪希细胞的肥大、增生和功能增强可能是由生精小管分泌一种或多种因子介导的，这为支持生精小管与间质组织之间局部相互作用调节睾丸功能的促性腺激素调节这一观点提供了额外证据。
