Glucagon-like peptide-1 promotes Leydig cell regeneration from stem cells in rats

in Reproduction
Authors:
Xiaoheng LiDepartment of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
Institute of Reproductive Biomedicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China

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Lanlan ChenDepartment of Anesthesiology, Taizhou People’s Hospital, The Fifth Hospital Affiliated Nantong University, Taizhou, Jiangsu, China

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Yiyan WangDepartment of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
Institute of Reproductive Biomedicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China

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Huitao LiDepartment of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
Institute of Reproductive Biomedicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China

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Qiqi ZhuDepartment of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
Institute of Reproductive Biomedicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China

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Ren-Shan GeDepartment of Anesthesiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China
Institute of Reproductive Biomedicine, The Second Affiliated Hospital and Yuying Children’s Hospital of Wenzhou Medical University, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China

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https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3448-9823
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Correspondence should be addressed to R-S Ge; Email: r_ge@yahoo.com

*(X Li and L Chen contributed equally to this work)

DOI:
https://doi.org/10.1530/REP-22-0136
Volume/Issue:
Volume 165: Issue 1
Page Range:
19–30
Article Type:
Research Article
Online Publication Date:
02 Dec 2022
Copyright:
© Society for Reproduction and Fertility 2023
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In brief

Glucagon-like peptide-1 stimulates stem Leydig cell development. Glucagon-like peptide-1 stimulates stem Leydig cell differentiation without affecting its proliferation.

Abstract

The regulators of stem Leydig cell (SLC) development remain largely unknown. The effect of glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) on rat SLC proliferation and differentiation was investigated using a 3D tissue culture system and an ethane dimethane sulfonate (EDS)-treated in vivo LC regeneration model. RNA-seq analysis was performed to analyze pathways in which GLP-1 may be involved. GLP-1 (3 and 30 nmol/L) significantly increased medium testosterone abundances and upregulated the expression of Scarb1, Cyp11a1, and Hsd11b1. GLP-1 in vitro did not affect SLC proliferation by 5-Ethynyl-2’- deoxyuridine (EdU) incorporation assay. Intratesticular injection of GLP-1 (10 and 100 ng/testis) into the LC-depleted testis from day 14 to day 28 post-EDS significantly increased serum testosterone abundances and upregulated the expression of Cyp11a1, Hsd3b1, and Hsd11b1. It did not affect the number of HSD11B1+ and CYP11A1+ LCs. RNA-seq analysis revealed that GLP-1 upregulated several pathways, including cAMP-PKA-EPAC1 and MEK/ERK1/2. GLP-1 stimulates SLC differentiation without affecting its proliferation, showing its novel action and mechanism on rat SLC development.

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Print ISSN:
1470-1626
Online ISSN:
1741-7899

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