Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 15, 2026
08:30
Isolate Cell-Type-Specific RNAs from Snap-Frozen Heterogeneous Tissue Samples without Cell Sorting
Published on: December 8, 2021
Origin, development and regulation of human Leydig cells
K Svechnikov1, L Landreh, J Weisser
1Department of Women's and Children's Health, Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Karolinska Institutet and University Hospital, Stockholm, Sweden.
Hormone Research in Paediatrics
|March 2, 2010
Summary
Leydig cells are vital for male fertility. This review covers how these cells develop and function, focusing on paracrine factors influencing their maturation and reproductive roles.
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Biology
- Endocrinology
- Cell Biology
Background:
- Sex steroids regulate sexual development and behavior.
- Leydig cells are primary producers of male steroid hormones, crucial for reproductive capacity.
- Normal Leydig cell function is essential for male fertility.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review recent findings on the regulation of human Leydig cell proliferation, differentiation, and involution.
- To describe the distinct fetal and adult Leydig cell populations.
- To highlight the paracrine factors involved in Leydig cell differentiation and maturation.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of recent findings on Leydig cell regulation.
- Discussion of endocrine and paracrine signaling pathways.
- Analysis of established and novel paracrine regulators.
Main Results:
- Identified two distinct human Leydig cell populations: fetal and adult.
- Detailed the paracrine environment crucial for Leydig cell differentiation and maturation.
- Considered roles of insulin-like factor 3, PDGF-alpha, desert hedgehog, ghrelin, and leptin.
Conclusions:
- Paracrine factors play a critical role in the development and function of human Leydig cells.
- Understanding these regulators is key to understanding male reproductive health and fertility.
- Further research into Leydig cell ontogenesis and function is warranted.
Related Concept Videos
01:26Testosterone: Functions and Regulation
The intricate hormonal interplay essential for male reproductive health begins with the release of gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) by the hypothalamus. This hormone prompts the pituitary gland to secrete follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH). LH targets the Leydig cells in the testes, stimulating them to produce and release testosterone. In concert with testosterone, FSH acts on the Sertoli cells within the seminiferous tubules to facilitate the release of...
01:15Development of the Sexual Organs in the Embryo and Fetus
Development of the reproductive organs in an embryo starts from a bipotential state. This means the early embryo can develop either male or female reproductive organs. The formation of these organs begins with the growth of gonadal ridges that arise from the intermediate mesoderm during the fifth week of development.
Near the gonadal ridges, two duct systems are present: the mesonephric ducts (Wolffian ducts) and paramesonephric ducts (Müllerian ducts). These ducts form the basis for the male...
Near the gonadal ridges, two duct systems are present: the mesonephric ducts (Wolffian ducts) and paramesonephric ducts (Müllerian ducts). These ducts form the basis for the male...
01:19Regulation of Hormone Secretion
Regulation of hormone secretion is a finely tuned orchestration driven by various types of stimuli, encompassing neural, humoral, and hormonal signals. Environmental cues instigate neural stimuli, where action potentials traverse nerve fibers to reach their designated targets. An illustrative scenario is the body's response to stress, wherein the sympathetic nervous system releases epinephrine from the adrenal glands, inducing the well-known 'fight or flight' reaction.
Humoral stimuli,...
Humoral stimuli,...
01:20Folliculogenesis
Folliculogenesis is the development of ovarian follicles, the specialized structures within the ovarian cortex where oogenesis, or egg development, occurs. This process is essential for female reproductive health and begins during fetal development when primordial follicles are formed. Each primordial follicle comprises a primary oocyte in the center, surrounded by a single layer of squamous pre-granulosa cells. These follicles remain dormant in late prophase I of meiosis until triggered by...
01:27Hormones of the Pituitary Gland
The small, pea-sized pituitary gland is located at the base of the brain. It is crucial in regulating various bodily functions, from growth to reproduction. The gland is divided into the anterior lobe and the posterior lobe. The secretory cell clusters in the pars distalis of the anterior pituitary lobe are controlled by hypothalamic regulators and synthesize six primary hormones.
The most abundantly secreted hormone from the anterior lobe is the growth hormone, which controls overall growth by...
The most abundantly secreted hormone from the anterior lobe is the growth hormone, which controls overall growth by...
01:27Feedback Regulation of Calcium Concentration
Calcium is an essential signaling molecule required for various cellular functions. Calcium pumps and ion channels on cell and organellar membranes, such as those on the endoplasmic reticulum (ER), regulate calcium concentrations inside the cell. They remain closed, keeping the cytosolic calcium levels low at a resting state.
Various transmembrane receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), elicit a response to extracellular signals by increasing cytosolic calcium. Activated GPCRs...
Various transmembrane receptors, such as G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), elicit a response to extracellular signals by increasing cytosolic calcium. Activated GPCRs...