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Interleukin-6 secretion from rat Leydig cells in culture
1Department of Cell Biology and Neuroscience, W. J. B. Dorn Veterans Hospital, Columbia, South Carolina.
Insights
Leydig cells produce interleukin-6 (IL-6), a cytokine involved in testicular function. This production is stimulated by human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and IL-1 beta, suggesting IL-6
Area of Science:
- Reproductive Endocrinology
- Cellular Biology
- Immunology
Background:
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is known to influence Sertoli cell function and is present in testicular fluids.
- Cytokines active in testicular function often originate from multiple production sites.
- The potential role of Leydig cells as a source of IL-6 in the testis requires investigation.
Purpose of the Study:
- To determine if Leydig cells are a source of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in the testis.
- To investigate the regulation of IL-6 production by Leydig cells.
- To explore the potential role of IL-6 in testicular communication.
Main Methods:
- Purified Leydig cells were cultured with and without human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) or IL-1 beta.
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6) bioactivity in the culture medium was measured using the 7TD1 bioassay.
- Interleukin-6 (IL-6) mRNA levels in Leydig cells were analyzed by Northern blot.
Main Results:
- Leydig cells secreted bioactive IL-6 into the culture medium.
- Incubation with hCG or IL-1 beta dose-dependently increased both IL-6 bioactivity and IL-6 mRNA levels in Leydig cells.
- Combined hCG and IL-1 beta treatment showed an additive stimulatory effect on IL-6 production and mRNA expression.
Conclusions:
- Leydig cells are a source of IL-6 in the testis.
- Leydig cell IL-6 production is regulated by hCG and IL-1 beta.
- IL-6 may play a role in intercellular communication within the testis, integrating signals between different cell types.
Abstract:
Recent evidence indicates that interleukin-6 (IL-6) acts on Sertoli cells to modulate secretory function. IL-6 is also detected in medium bathing tissue or cells from the seminiferous tubule, suggesting a testicular regulatory role. Because other cytokines found to be active in testicular function have more than one site of production, we examined whether Leydig cells may serve as an alternate source of IL-6. Purified Leydig cells were cultured with or without modulatory substances, and the medium was subjected to the 7TD1 bioassay for IL-6. Northern analysis using an IL-6 cDNA probe was performed on companion cell preparations. Incubation with either hCG or IL-1 beta increased the levels of bioactive IL-6 released into the medium and IL-6 mRNA detected in the cells in a dose-related manner. When used together, these agents had an additive stimulatory influence on both the release of IL-6 bioactivity and the amount of IL-6 mRNA. Our results demonstrate that IL-6 is secreted from enriched preparations of Leydig cells and that its release is under the control of at least two modulators of testicular function. Identification of interstitial cells as a site of IL-6 production coupled with reports of IL-6 release and action in seminiferous tubular cell preparations suggest that IL-6 may serve a role in signal integration or communication from one testicular location to another.
