Effects of nutrition, social factors and chronic stress on the mouse Leydig cell testosterone production

Abstract

The testosterone production by Leydig cells of mice adversely affected with nutritional or social factors and exposed to chronic stress was studied in vitro. Both basal and gonadotrophin stimulated testosterone production were highly significantly decreased (P < 0.01) as in groups given the hypothyreotics or potassium nitrate alone as in combination with stress. Stimulated in vitro testosterone production was not significantly changed in groups fed with synthetic diets, however, in mice given modified diets and exposed to stress decreased responsivity of Leydig cells stimulated by gonadotrophin was found. Basal and stimulated testosterone production in vitro in most of gonadotrophin concentrations was non-significantly lower in mice affected only by stress when compared with undisturbed controls. In isolated male mice the basal testosterone production was significantly (P < 0.05) decreased and gonadotrophin stimulated production highly significantly (P < 0.01) decreased when compared with group caged males. The testosterone production was most severely suppressed in aggressive individuals. Serum testosterone levels were detected in all animals, corticosterone, T3and T4 in selected groups of mice. We can conclude that the testosterone production was adversely affected by nutritional factors, and the impact was more profound when exerted together with chronic stress. The adverse effect of individual caging of male mice was also proved.

Keywords

• mice
• chronic stress
• hypothryeosis
• potassium nitrate
• fat-free diet
• individual caging
• aggressive and timid behaviour
• leydig cells in vitro
• gonadotrophin
• testosterone