[The testis as eutopic production site of human growth hormone, placental lactogen and prolactin: possible autocrine/paracrine effects on testicular function].

The human (h) protein hormones, growth hormone (hGH-N) and prolactin (hPRL), are mainly produced in the pituitary, whereas the human placenta expresses the other four members of the protein hormone gene family, designated placental lactogens (PL-A, PL-B, PL-L) and growth hormone variant (GH-V), GH-N stimulates somatic growth, supports nitrogen-, phosphate- and potassium retention and promotes lipolytic and anabolic metabolism, whereas PRL acts on the mammary gland and induces mammogenesis, lactogenesis and galactopoesis. Both hyperprolactinemia and growth hormone deficiency affect the onset of puberty and reproduction in man and mice. In addition to the glycoprotein hormones, these hormones play a role in the maintenance of testicular function. Our group previously demonstrated eutopic production of glycoprotein hormones hLH (human luteinizing hormone) and hCG (human chorionic gonadotropin) in the testis. We have now extended our investigations to the local testicular expression of protein hormones. By means of the molecular biology techniques of the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), Southern blot and by restriction endonuclease analyses of the generated PCR products we demonstrated the eutopic expression of genes coding for the protein hormones. GH-N gene transcripts were detected only in the pituitary and abundant PL-A/B and a few GH-V gene transcripts were demonstrable in the placenta. In contrast, in the testis GH/PL and PRL genes are transcribed. Since testicular protein hormone gene expression is rather low, these hormones may act locally and not as systemic factors; they presumably modulate the LH/CG-mediated testosterone biosynthesis and/or may act on the spermatogenesis.