Estradiol receptors of two distinct populations of Leydig cells

The optimal concentrations of molybdate (Mo) to prevent thermal inactivation of estrogen receptor (ER) were found to be 5-20 mM. Using metrizamide density centrifugation, interstitial cells of adult Sprague-Dawley rat testes (2-3 months of age) can be separated into 5 distinct bands. Band 2 (B2) and 3 (B3) cells represented functionally different Leydig cells. For measurement of cytosolic ER, purified Leydig cells (B2 and B3 cells) were homogenized in 10 mM Tris-EDTA buffer with 5 mM of Mo (pH 7.4) and centrifuged at 105,000xg for 60 min. Cytosols were used immediately for ER determination. ER of B2 cells was 24.0 +/- 3.1 fmol/mg protein (mean +/- SE, n = 7), which was significantly higher than that of B3 cells, 18.6 +/- 3.2 fmol/mg protein (n = 7), p less than 0.005. The association constants of these two populations of Leydig cells for E2 receptor were comparable, 5.1 X 10(10)M-1 for B2 cells and 4.2 x 10(10)M-1 for B3 cells. In response to hCG 100 IU s.c., ER of B2 cells was reduced to 2.0 +/- 0.38 fmol/mg protein (n = 5), which was 8.4% of the control B2 cells. ER of B3 cells was almost completely depleted by the same dose of hCG, to 0.70 +/- 0.38 fmol/mg protein, 3.7% of the control B3 cells.

B2 cells contained higher amounts of ER under basal conditions than B3 cells, and hCG-induced desensitization caused depletion of ER of both B2 and B3 cells.