Short-term primary culture of mouse interstitial cells: effects of culture conditions of androgen production.

This study examined the effects of culture conditions and hormone treatment on androgen production by mouse interstitial cells in short-term primary culture. Testicular interstitial cells (18-25% 3 beta-hydroxysteriod dehydrogenase-positive) were maintained in serum-free hormone supplemented medium. Basal (nonstimulated) androgen production was found to be plating-density dependent. Androgen production per cell increased dramatically in a time- and cell concentration-dependent manner. This effect was reproduced in low density cultures by addition of charcoal-stripped conditioned medium from high density cultures. The cell anchorage factors, fibronectin and poly-l-lysine, similarly enhanced basal androgen production but did not augment responsiveness to luteinizing hormone (LH). Coating of the culture surface with serum inhibited androgen production. Cultured cells remained responsive to LH for 4 to 5 days and both insulin (5 micrograms/ml) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) (3 ng/ml) augmented LH-stimulated androgen production. There was a transient increase in LH sensitivity and maximum LH-stimulated androgen production for 5 to 72 h in culture followed by a decline in androgen production to low levels after 4 to 5 days in culture. This loss of activity was partially prevented by addition of antioxidants to the medium or by reduction of the ambient O2 concentration to 1%.