Immunoassay of androgen binding protein in blood: a new approach for study of the seminiferous tubule.

Androgen binding protein, a secretory product of seminiferous tubules, was isolated by means of affinity chromatography. A radioimmunoassay was developed and used to identify androgen binding protein in rat plasma. The ability to measure a testicular protein in blood provides a new method for investigation of seminiferous tubular physiology.

Hormonal regulation of rat androgen-binding protein (ABP) messenger ribonucleic acid and homology of human testosterone-estradiol-binding globulin and ABP complementary deoxyribonucleic acids.

Complementary DNA clones coding for rat androgen-binding protein (rABP) were isolated from a rat testis cDNA library constructed in the bacteriophage lambda gt11. The library was screened immunochemically, using two different antibodies against rABP. The identity of the isolated clones was confirmed by epitope selection and DNA sequence analysis. The mRNA encoding rABP could be detected in the testes of 20- and 46-day-old-rats, but not in the 10-day-old rats by hybridization with 32P-labeled rABP cDNA in a Northern blot of poly(A)+-RNA fractioned by agarose gel electrophoresis. No hybridization signal was seen with poly(A)+-RNA isolated from kidney and liver. The rABP mRNA appeared as a single species with a size of 1.65 kilobase, sufficient to encode a protein of 42,000 daltons. The concentration of rABP mRNA in the testes of 37-day-old hypophysectomized rats increased after treatment with testosterone and FSH, given alone or in combination. Sequence and hybridization analysis of cDNAs for rABP, human testosterone-estradiol-binding globulin, and human ABP demonstrates that the cDNAs for human testosterone-estradiol binding globulin and human ABP have greater sequence similarity with each other than either has with rABP.

Demonstration of specific binding of prolactin by porcine corpora lutea.

Subcellular fractions from porcine corpora lutea of the reproductive cycle and pregnancy were shown to have specific binding sites for ovine prolactin (oPRL). Aside from oPRL, only ovine and bovine growth hormone preparations competed with [125I]iodo-oPRL for its binding site. These cross reactions were at a level consistent with the prolactin contamination of these preparations. Rat growth hormone, FSH, LH, TSH, insulin, and ACTH exhibited negligible cross-reactivity. Both corpora hemorrhagica and albicantia had lower specific binding of [125I]iodoPRL than did active corpora lutea of the reproductive cycle, while corpora lutea of pregnancy demonstrated a nearly 5-fold increase in specific binding compared with that of the cycle. Corpora lutea from animals with larger fetuses (greater gestational age) bound the most prolactin. Analysis of data from cold competition studies employing weighted non-linear least-square fitting to a three-parameter model, showed high-affinity binding of oPRL with an association constant (Ka, 23 C) of 2.0 X 10(9)M-1 for the binding site of the corpus luteum of the cycle. The Ka shows no appreciable change with pregnancy. In contrast, the binding site concentration (N) increases markedly from less than 10 fmol/mg protein in corpora lutea from non-pregnant animals to approximately 40 fmol/mg protein for animals at a gestational stage of 40-46 days. The observed Ka's are similar to values obtained for the prolactin binding site in porcine granulosa cells harvested from unruptured follicles and to the prolactin-binding site in the mammary gland.

The effects of opioid receptor antagonists suggest that testicular opiates regulate Sertoli and Leydig cell function in the neonatal rat.

beta-Endorphin and other peptides derived from proopiomelanocortin are synthesized in testicular Leydig cells. To better understand the possible function of these and other endogenous opioid peptides in the testis, the opioid antagonists naloxone and nalmefene were administered intratesticularly to hemicastrated 5-day-old rats. Both naloxone and nalmefene potentiated testicular hypertrophy induced by unilateral orchidectomy at 11 days of age. Unexpectedly, at least a 100-fold lower dose of nalmefene was required to produce maximal hypertrophy than that previously reported for naloxone. Leydig and Sertoli cell functions were evaluated, respectively, by measurement of basal testosterone production in vitro and rat androgen-binding protein (rABP) in serum. The optimal dose of naloxone for hypertrophy (1 microgram/testis) suppressed testosterone production and had a nonuniform effect on rABP secretion (either had no effect or produced a slight increase). By contrast, the optimal dose of nalmefene for hypertrophy (0.01 microgram/testis) not only suppressed basal testosterone secretion, but also uniformly increased rABP levels in serum. Larger doses of this opioid antagonist, up to 1 microgram/testis, were not as effective on the three parameters measured (hypertrophy, testosterone secretion, and rABP levels). These results suggest that this agent has both antagonistic and agonistic activities in the testis. At the doses that produced optimal effects on hypertrophy, systemic administration of these antagonists produced no effects. The results of these studies suggest that intratesticular opiates exert a suppressive effect on Sertoli cell growth and rABP secretion. In addition, these peptides may modulate testosterone secretion by Leydig cells.

Evidence from Sertoli cell-depleted rats indicates that spermatid number in adults depends on numbers of Sertoli cells produced during perinatal development.

To probe the relationship between the size of the Sertoli cell population, established during perinatal development, and production of germ cells in the adult testis, a Sertoli cell-depleted rat model was developed. This was accomplished by delivering an antimitotic drug, cytosine arabinoside (araC), directly to the testis of newborn pups. Initial studies of these araC-treated neonates indicated that 1) the drug is cleared rapidly from the testis; 2) it substantially reduces the level of Sertoli cell proliferation; 3) Sertoli cell division ceases at a normal time in spite of the previous drug treatment; and 4) araC itself has no residual effect on germ cell proliferation, which begins several days after the injection. Pups given araC were allowed to reach maturity, and their testes were perfuse-fixed for light microscopic morphometry. When the numbers of Sertoli cells in adult rats given araC as were compared with those in normal littermates, a 54% decrease in the size of the Sertoli cell population was detected in treated rats, now referred to as Sertoli cell-depleted. Moreover, when round spermatids were quantified and compared in normal and Sertoli cell-depleted adults, testes of the latter were found to contain 55% fewer round spermatids. Since, in the araC-treated group, the decrease in Sertoli cell population size was paralleled by a reduction in spermatid production of equal magnitude, the number of round spermatids per Sertoli cell was essentially identical in normal and Sertoli cell-depleted animals. Measurements of serum androgen-binding protein (ABP) and FSH in both groups indicated that the circulating level of ABP in Sertoli cell-depleted rats was approximately half, and the concentration of FSH approximately twice, that in normal animals. Thus, even though FSH is elevated in Sertoli cell-depleted rats, the production of ABP per Sertoli cell is unchanged. In addition, collective volume of Leydig cells and ventral prostate weights were normal in the Sertoli cell-depleted group, suggesting that Leydig cell function in these rats is normal. In summary, a Sertoli cell-depleted rat model has been produced by interfering specifically with Sertoli cell proliferation early in postnatal life, before onset of germ cell division. Moreover, our findings with this model indicate that production of normal numbers of germ cells in adults depends, at least in part, on the size of the Sertoli cell population. Thus, our observations identify the perinatal period, when the Sertoli cell population is established, as critical for development of quantitatively normal spermatogenesis in the adult.

Testicular aromatization in immature rats: localization and stimulation after gonadotropin administration in vivo.

Aromatization was measured in testicular microsomal preparations obtained from rats treated 3--4 days with FSH, hCG, or vehicle, hCG, but not FSH, was found consistently to stimulate testicular aromatase activity at least 10-fold. As a marker for FSH action, epididymal androgen-binding protein was assayed and found to be 3 times higher in FSH-treated rats than in either hCG or control rats. hCG, but not FSH or vehicle, stimulated serum testosterone levels more than 100-fold. In all groups, aromatase activity in the microsomal fraction was at least 6 times higher than that found in the mitochondrial fraction. In experiments in which testicular compartments were separated, microsomal preparations from interstitial tissue of hCG-treated rats had 5--7 times more aromatase activity than microsomes from seminiferous tubules and 2--3 times more activity than microsomes from whole testes. It is concluded the hCG administered in vivo can stimulate testicular aromatase activity in immature rats, and the increase in activity is localized in the interstitial tissue.

Measurement of a follicle-stimulating hormone-responsive protein of Sertoli cell origin using an enzyme-linked immunoblot assay.

Many proteins secreted by Sertoli cell-enriched cultures are maximally stimulated by a combination of FSH and testosterone. Since very few are stimulated primarily by FSH, we thought it pertinent to identify such proteins. Sertoli cell-enriched cultures were prepared from testes of 20-day-old rats and grown in serum-free medium containing insulin, transferrin, and epidermal growth factor and in such medium supplemented with FSH, testosterone, or FSH plus testosterone. Media were fractionated using HPLC, and proteins were identified by sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. A protein designated CMB-2, with an apparent mol wt of 22,000, was shown to increase in response to FSH. Antiserum was raised using denatured protein eluted from SDS-polyacrylamide gels as the antigen, and a specific immunoassay using a combination of SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and Western blotting was developed. The production of CMB-2 by primary Sertoli cell-enriched cultures was found to increase in a dose-dependent manner in response to FSH (30-1000 ng/ml); secretion was not significantly affected by testosterone (2 X 10(-13) M). An investigation of the tissue distribution of CMB-2 showed that the puberty, CMB-2 is secreted into the rete testis and accumulates in the epididymis in high concentration. We conclude that CMB-2 will be a useful marker to study the action of FSH on the rat testis.

Regulation of pituitary gonadotropin-releasing hormone receptors by androgens in the male rabbit.

The regulation of pituitary GnRH receptors was studied in adult male rabbits after castration and androgen replacement with testosterone (T) or 7 alpha-methyl-19-nortestosterone acetate (U-15,614; T analog) supplied by Silastic capsules implanted sc. Castration increased pituitary GnRH receptors significantly, from 99.3 to 329.5 fmol/mg protein within 4 weeks, without a change in the equilibrium association constant. Serum LH concentrations increased from 0.45 to maximum levels of 2.6 ng/ml by day 8 after orchiectomy; these levels persisted throughout the 4 weeks of study. Serum FSH reached maximum levels of 33.6 ng/ml 5 days after castration. T replacement with 250, 500, and 1000 micrograms/kg X day, prevented a postcastration rise in both pituitary GnRH receptor concentrations and gonadotropin secretion, while 100 micrograms/kg X day prevented an increase in GnRH receptors, but did not completely inhibit hypersecretion of gonadotropins. Administration of T analog at doses of 6.25 and 12.5 micrograms/kg X day partially suppressed the castration-induced increase in pituitary GnRH receptor concentrations, while 25, 50, and 100 micrograms/kg X day suppressed GnRH-binding sites to the levels found in intact controls in 15 of 16 rabbits. By contrast, none of the T analog doses was able to prevent completely LH and FSH hypersecretion. The fact that both T and T analog induced dose-dependent stimulation of prostate and seminal vesicle weights indicates that there are tissue-specific differences in the sensitivity to androgens. We conclude that in the male rabbit 1) pituitary GnRH receptors significantly increase after castration; 2) this increase may partially mediate the postcastration hypersecretion of LH and FSH; 3) castration-induced effects can be prevented by androgen replacement. These results are similar to those obtained in rats, where castration increases LHRH receptors, but contrast with results in mice and hamsters, where castration either reduces or does not change receptor levels. This indicates significant species differences in the response of pituitary GnRH receptor concentrations to elimination of the negative feedback effects of androgens.

Sertoli cell maturation is impaired by neonatal passive immunization with antiserum to luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone.

Male rats treated with a single injection of antiserum to LHRH (LHRH-AS) at 5 days of age have small testes as adults. In the present investigation, the serial maturation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis was studied in young male rats passively immunized with LHRH-AS. Testicular and epididymal weights, serum androgen and gonadotropin levels, testicular receptors for human CG (hCG), and androgen binding protein (ABP) concentrations in serum, testis, and epididymis were compared in developing animals treated with a single ip injection of LHRH-AS or normal rabbit serum. Rats treated with LHRH-AS had lower serum concentrations of ABP at all ages; the highest levels were on days 22-24, which were several days later than controls. Testicular weight was about 60% that of the control at all ages from 10-90 days. A reduction in epididymal weight to 80% that of the control was seen only in adults at days 60 and 90. Testicular ABP content increased steadily with age, but its concentration peaked at day 17 for controls and day 22 for LHRH-AS treated animals. Both testicular and epididymal ABP content were commensurate with testicular weight in controls and treated rats through day 45. Similarly, hCG-receptor content and concentration increased steadily with age, but differences between control and treated groups paralleled testicular weight. These results suggest an effect of LHRH blockade at a critical period which impairs early testicular growth and causes a permanent reduction in growth. Sertoli cell function and hCG-receptor appearance are impaired in proportion to this reduction.

Human testicular androgen-binding protein shares immunodeterminants with serum testosterone-estradiol-binding globulin.

In the human, there are two glycoproteins, testosterone-estradiol-binding globulin (hTeBG) and androgen-binding protein (hABP), which bind testosterone. Although these two proteins have similar physicochemical properties, they can be distinguished on the basis of origin and lectin binding. hTeBG is made in the liver and exhibits high affinity for Concanavalin A (Con A), while hABP from the testes is only partially bound to this lectin. That is, when testicular extracts were applied to Con A-Sepharose columns, a portion of the testosterone-binding material showed no interaction with the lectin and eluted in the void volume (peak I), while the remainder interacted strongly and could be eluted with alpha-methyl-D-glucoside (peak II). These observations are consistent with the proposal that peak I contains only hABP, whereas peak II contains hTeBG and/or hABP with carbohydrate units that permit binding to Con A. To further study the properties of these binding proteins, a hTeBG RIA using a monospecific antiserum was employed to compare the proteins in testes and serum. The results indicated that the testosterone-binding activities in peaks I and II of testicular extracts could not be distinguished immunologically from hTeBG in sera of normal women. These findings suggested that hTeBG and hABP share common epitopes. We next determined whether hABP was secreted into the blood or amniotic fluid by fractionating these fluids in Con A-Sepharose columns. Unlike testicular extracts, male serum and amniotic fluid contained single immunoreactive and steroid-binding species which bound specifically to Con A. We conclude from these observations that hABP (peak I), peak II activity, and hTeBG have common immunodeterminants and that if hABP is secreted into the blood of men, then its carbohydrate chains bind to Con A, making it indistinguishable from hTeBG under these conditions.

The heterogeneity of rat androgen-binding protein in serum differs from that in testis and epididymis.

Fractionation of testicular, epididymal, and serum extracts containing rat androgen-binding protein (rABP) on a Concanavalin A-Sepharose (Con A) column resolved two peaks of immunoreactive protein. The first peak was present in the void volume, and the other was bound by the column and specifically eluted by alpha-methyl-D-glucoside. These two peaks of immunoreactive rABP have been designated form I and form II for the portions of rABP that do not and do bind, respectively, to Concanavalin A. In the course of studying this heterogeneity, we observed that the distribution of the two forms of rABP was the same in the blood and cytosols prepared from testis and epididymis of young rats before the formation of the blood-testis barrier; that is, the ratio of form I to form II ranged from 1:1 to 1:2. Similar heterogeneity was observed in extracts of the reproductive tract from mature animals. However, the blood of adult rats contained reduced amounts of form I relative to form II, so that their ratio was about 1:5. Subsequent studies of infertile rats heterozygous for the Hre gene (Hre/ +), in which total rABP secretion was decreased, and of their normal littermates, indicated that the reduced amount of form I ABP in the sera of mature rats is typical of adult animals regardless of strain or genetic abnormality. The reduced amount of form I relative to form II observed in the blood of adult rats could result from either reduced secretion or increased metabolic clearance of form I in the blood compartment. To distinguish between these possibilities, the blood clearance of the two forms was estimated after orchiectomy. The disappearance rate of form I was not significantly different from that of either form II or unfractionated serum. These results are consistent with reduced release into blood of form I relative to form II rABP rather than increased clearance of form I in adult animals.

The epididymis contributes minimally to serum androgen-binding protein in the rat: a whole body kinetic study.

The half-times, MCRs, and secretion rates of androgen-binding protein (rABP) were determined in male rats under a variety of conditions. After orchiectomy, the disappearance of endogenous immunoassayable rABP from serum was described by a single exponential term with half-lives of 21 +/- 0.2 and 20 +/- 0.8 h at 25 and 90 days, respectively. The MCR (milliliters per g/day) was not affected by age or hormonal status of the animals. The secretion rate of rABP into the blood was higher in the immature animals than in adults. The decrease in serum rABP concentrations after 20-25 days of age was due to a decrease in the rate of secretion into blood rather than an increase in MCR, a finding consistent with the observation that after formation of the blood-testis barrier, most of the rABP is secreted into the seminiferous tubular lumen. The disappearance curve after injection of purified epididymal rABP was best described by two exponential terms. The first component disappeared very rapidly and the second more slowly, with a half-time corresponding to that of endogenous rABP. The MCR calculated from the latter component was the same as that for endogenous rABP. Having established the kinetic parameters for rABP in serum, a series of experiments was conducted to determine whether it was possible for the epididymis to release this protein into the blood. The apparent half-time of rABP measured in rats in which the testes had been removed and the epididymides left intact was found to be 65 +/- 3 to 70 +/- 5 h in three separate experiments. This increase over the actual half-life of rABP (20 h) was due to the release of rABP from the epididymis into the blood. A similar experiment was performed in an identical group of animals (testes removed, epididymides intact) that had been treated with testosterone via Silastic implants. In these animals the apparent half-time (24 +/- 4 to 28 +/- 2 h; three experiments) closely approximated the actual half-life (20 h). These findings indicate that androgens retarded degeneration of the epididymides, thus minimizing their release of rABP into blood. Our experimental findings suggest the following conclusions. The dramatic rise and subsequent decline of serum rABP concentrations that occur before puberty are due to changes in the secretion rate rather than in the MCR, which is unaffected by age or hormonal states.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Binding of an extracellular steroid-binding globulin to membranes and soluble receptors from human breast cancer cells (MCF-7 cells).

Studies of MCF-7 breast cancer cells demonstrated that sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG) is internalized by receptor-mediated endocytosis. The present study demonstrated specific binding of SHBG to receptor on membranes isolated from MCF-7 cells. Scatchard analysis of these binding studies suggested that SHBG binds to a single class of sites on membranes. The analysis yielded a dissociation constant (Kd) at 37 C of 3 x 10(-8) M and a binding capacity of 48 +2- 0.12 pmol/mg protein. A procedure for solubilizing the SHBG receptor from MCF-7 membranes used buffers containing protease inhibitors, 10% glycerol, and 10 mM 3-[(3-cholamidopropyl)dimethylammonio]-1-propanesulfonate. Solubilization of the receptor resulted in a 5-fold increase in its binding capacity (246 +/- 14 pmol/mg protein) and a 10-fold decrease in binding affinity (Kd at 37 C = 2 x 10(-7) M).

Receptor-mediated endocytosis of an extracellular steroid-binding protein (TeBG) in MCF-7 human breast cancer cells.

Previous studies suggested that an extracellular steroid-binding protein, testosterone-estradiol-binding globulin (TeBG), can enter a variety of cells. Experiments were conducted to determine whether uptake of TeBG occurs by nonspecific fluid phase endocytosis or via a specific receptor-mediated process. In human breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7) maintained on serum-free medium, exposure to radiolabeled TeBG resulted in cellular uptake, which reached a plateau by 6 h and could be inhibited 80% by competition with unlabeled TeBG. Uptake was temperature dependent with cell-associated radioactivity at 37 C being 1.6-fold higher than at 4 C. Subsequent exposure of cells to pronase resulted in release of the cell-associated TeBG by 88% and 44% at 4 C and 37 C, respectively. After transfer to media devoid of TeBG, approximately 35% of cell-associated radioactivity was release into the medium at 37 C; it was not possible to distinguish whether this was released from the cell surface or from inside the cell. Investigation of the localization of TeBG-gold complexes by electron microscopy revealed that TeBG first binds to the plasmalemma. Within 15 min label appears in receptosomes, which fuse to form multivesicular endosomes. By 1 h all label is observed in multivesicular endosomes and lysosomes, most of which are in the Golgi zone. Localization of the internalized radioactivity using classical cell fractionation techniques showed it appears in a symmetrical band exhibiting the same buoyant density as the lysosomal marker acid phosphatase. The observations reported here show that: 1) TeBG binds to MCF-7 cells; 2) some of the bound TeBG is taken up via a mechanism with all the characteristics of receptor-mediated endocytosis; and 3) within these cells TeBG is localized in endosomes and lysosomes.

Identification of a kinetically distinct activity of 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in rat Leydig cells.

Leydig cells are susceptible to direct glucocorticoid-mediated inhibition of testosterone biosynthesis but can counteract the inhibition through 11beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (11beta-HSD), which oxidatively inactivates glucocorticoids. Of the two isoforms of 11beta-HSD that have been identified, type I is an NADP(H)-dependent oxidoreductase that is relatively insensitive to inhibition by end product and carbenoxolone (CBX). The type I form has been shown to be predominantly reductive in liver parenchymal cells and other tissues. In contrast, type II, which is postulated to confer specificity in mineralocorticoid receptor (MR)-mediated responses, acts as an NAD-dependent oxidase that is potently inhibited by both end product and CBX. The identity of the 11beta-HSD isoform in Leydig cells is uncertain, because the protein in this cell is recognized by an anti-type I 11beta-HSD antibody, but the activity is primarily oxidative, more closely resembling type II. The goal of the present study was to determine whether the kinetic properties of 11beta-HSD in Leydig cells are consistent with type I, type II, or neither. Leydig cells were purified from male Sprague-Dawley rats (250 g), and 11beta-HSD was evaluated in Leydig cells by measuring rates of oxidation and reduction, cofactor preference, and inhibition by end product and CBX. Leydig cells were assayed for type I and II 11beta-HSD and MR messenger RNAs (mRNAs), and for type I 11beta-HSD protein. Leydig cell 11beta-HSD had bidirectional catalytic activity that was NADP(H)-dependent. This is consistent with the hypothesis that type I 11beta-HSD is present in rat Leydig cells. However, unlike the type I 11beta-HSD in liver parenchymal cells, the Leydig cell 11beta-HSD was predominantly oxidative. Moreover, analysis of kinetics revealed two components, the first being low a Michaelis-Menten constant (Km) NADP-dependent oxidative activity with a Km of 41.5 +/- 9.3 nM and maximum velocity (Vmax) of 7.1 +/- 1.2 pmol x min x 10(6) cells. The second component consisted of high Km activities that were consistent with type I:NADP-dependent oxidative activity with Km of 5.87 +/- 0.46 microM and Vmax of 419 +/- 17 pmol x min x 10(6) cells, and NADPH-dependent reductive activity with Km of 0.892 +/- 0.051 microM and Vmax of 117 +/- 6 pmol x min x 10(6) cells. The results for end product and CBX inhibition were also inconsistent with a single kinetic activity in Leydig cells. Type I 11beta-HSD mRNA and protein were both present in Leydig cells, whereas type II mRNA was undetectable. We conclude that the low Km NADP-dependent oxidative activity of 11beta-HSD in Leydig cells does not confirm to the established characteristics of type I and may reside in a new form of this protein. We also demonstrated the presence of the mRNA for MR in Leydig cells, and the low Km component could allow for specificity in MR-mediated responses.

Sertoli cell-only syndrome produced by cold testicular ischemia.

This report describes a new method for producing Sertoli cell-only testes in the Lewis rat using 90 min of hypothermic testicular ischemia. The method employs selective occlusion of the testicular blood supply using atraumatic microclips applied with the aid of an operating microscope. The testis is packed in ice-cold saline throughout the ischemic interval, and the deferential artery and vein are ligated. Twelve weeks after the ischemic insult, the testes weigh half that of control testes while there were no differences in prostate or seminal vesicle weights. Microscopic examination of the ischemic damaged testes revealed normal-appearing Leydig and Sertoli cells, but complete absence of germ cells. Assays of testicular enzyme activities indicated that lactic dehydrogenase and sorbitol dehydrogenase were reduced, while alpha-glutamyl transpeptidase activity was normal, consistent with the marked reduction of germ cells. Serum androgen binding protein (rABP) levels were elevated relative to nonischemic controls. By contrast, serum concentrations of testosterone, LH, and FSH were normal. In addition, LHRH elicited identical LH and testosterone responses in control and experimental animals. Testicular blood flow measured with 133Xenon was slightly decreased in Sertoli-cell-only testes. Intratesticular temperatures was normal in all groups. These observations in rats with ischemia-induced Sertoli-cell-only testes are strikingly different from those induced by radiation or genetic defects. Animals with these latter disorders have elevated FSH levels, evidence of altered Leydig cell function as evidenced by elevated LH or abnormal response to LHRH; and normal or low serum rABP levels. We conclude that 1) ischemia produces no abnormalities of the pituitary testicular axis in spite of marked germ cell depletion and 2) Sertoli-cell-only testes of different etiologies can have varied patterns of hormone and rABP secretion.

Age-dependent pattern of androgen-binding protein secretion from rat Sertoli cells in primary culture.

The pattern and hormonal control of rat androgen-binding protein (rABP) secretion in vitro was investigated using animals of different ages to initiate primary cultures of Sertoli cells. Sertoli cells were isolated from testes of 7- to 31-day-old rats and cultured for periods of up to 30 days in serum-free medium, medium supplemented with insulin, transferrin, and epidermal growth factor (3F), or 3F plus FSH, testosterone, progesterone, hydrocortisone, and vitamin E (8F). The amount of rABP secreted by Sertoli cells during the first 24 h in culture (initial rate) exhibited an age-dependent pattern which reflected the apparent in vivo activity of these cells. Between 7 and 25 days of age, the initial rate of rABP secretion per Sertoli cell increased 20-fold; a further 2-fold increase occurred between 25 and 35 days of age. The pattern of rABP secretion exhibited by Sertoli cells cultured for several weeks was dependent not only on added factors (3F or 8F), but also on Sertoli cell age, expressed as the total of animal age plus time in culture (total age). In cultures of Sertoli cells isolated from very young animals (7-10 days old), the rate of rABP secretion increased until 20 days (total age), but declined thereafter. This early increase in rABP secretion was augmented by, but not dependent on, hormone additions. In contrast, Sertoli cells isolated from older animals always showed decreasing rates of secretion with time in culture. Furthermore, Sertoli cells from very young animals retained the capacity to respond to hormones in vitro with increased secretion of rABP and maintenance of cell viability. This responsiveness decreased with age, similar to the loss of hormone response seen in vivo after puberty. In conclusion, culture conditions were established which permitted the study of FSH-dependent and independent regulation of rABP secretion and of the acquisition of hormone resistance at the time of puberty. The initial rate of rABP secretion in culture (first 24 h) correlates with the age of the animal from which the cultures are obtained. The pattern of rABP secretion during subsequent long term culture is determined by the total age (animal and culture age), with increasing rates of secretion up to 20 days and decreasing rates thereafter. This inherent pattern of rABP secretion as well as loss of responsiveness of the Sertoli cell to hormonal stimulation appear to be programmed early in development.

Differential regulation of testicular transferrin and androgen-binding protein secretion in primary cultures of rat Sertoli cells.

Specific RIAs for rat transferrin (rTF) and androgen-binding protein (rABP) were used to determine whether the secretion of these proteins was coordinately regulated in the Sertoli cell under a variety of conditions. Sertoli cell-enriched primary cultures were prepared from the testes of 20-day-old rats, and rTF and rABP were assayed in medium from the same culture. There was a strong effect of cell density on both rABP and rTF secretion per cell, with increased secretion per cell at high densities. Human TF (hTF), FeSO4, and desferrioxamine had little or no effect on rTF secretion. The age of the animal at the time of preparation of cells for culture had a strong effect on the pattern of rTF and rABP secretion in vitro; however, the effects of animal age, time in culture, and medium supplementation differed for the two proteins. In cultures prepared from 20-day-old animals, insulin, epidermal growth factor, and testosterone stimulated both rTF and rABP secretion, although to different extents. Retinoic acid was required for the stimulation and maintenance of rTF secretion, but had no effect on rABP secretion in the presence of insulin, hTF, and epidermal growth factor. Conversely, FSH and isoproterenol stimulated rABP, but not rTF, secretion. These data suggest that the secretion of rABP and rTF by Sertoli cells is under differential control.

On the androgen microenvironment of maturing spermatozoa.

Adult anesthetized male rats were submitted to in vivo micropuncture of the seminiferous and epididymal tubules and reproductive tract vasculature to obtain fluids for analysis of testosterone, 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone, and androgen-binding protein (ABP). Androgen and ABP concentrations were determined by RIA. The highest concentrations of testosterone (73.14 +/- 5.12 ng/ml) were in testicular interstitial fluid. A significant downhill concentration gradient exists between testosterone concentrations in testicular interstitial fluid and seminiferous tubule fluid (50.24 +/- 2.26 ng/ml); another significant decrease occurs between seminiferous tubule fluid and rete testis fluid (17.85 +/- 2.11 ng/ml). 5 alpha-Dihydrotestosterone concentrations were highest in intraluminal caput epididymidal fluids (58.73 +/- 6.48 ng/ml) as were ABP concentrations (33.30 +/- 2.40 mu leq/microliter). Intraluminal sperm concentrations were also determined, and from these data, fluid reabsorption by the efferent ducts and epididymal tubules were calculated. Eighty-nine percent of the fluid leaving the testis is reabsorbed between the rete testis and caput epididymidis, and 96% is reabsorbed between rete and cauda. It was calculated that large losses of androgen and ABP also occur from the lumen of the excurrent duct system. These losses may be due to metabolism, diffusion from the lumen, or uptake by cells.

Immunocytochemical localization of androgen-binding protein in the male rat reproductive tract.

The localization of androgen-binding protein (ABP) in the reproductive tract of young adult male rats was studied with the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique using frozen sections and light microscopy. Within the seminiferous tubules, a positive reaction was noted in the apical portion of the epithelium, apparently in spermatids and/or Sertoli cells. ABP was localized in granules in the apical cytoplasm of the principal epithelial cells of the proximal part of the caput epididymis and in the epithelial cells of the ductuli efferentes. The cells in the distal part of the caput as well as the corpus and cauda of the epididymis did not contain ABP. Numerous coated vesicles and multivesicular bodies were present in the supranuclear cytoplasm of the epididymal epithelium where ABP was taken up. The results indicate that ABP is taken up from the lumen by epithelial cells of the ductuli efferentes and proximal part of the caput epididymis.