STUDIES OF THE HUMAN TESTIS. XI. LEYDIG CELL CLUSTERS AND LEVELS OF INTRATESTICULAR TESTOSTERONE AND 20α-DIHYDROPROGESTERONE1
- 1 November 1978
- journal article
- research article
- Published by The Endocrine Society in Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism
- Vol. 47 (5) , 1164-1167
- https://doi.org/10.1210/jcem-47-5-1164
Abstract
Testosterone concentration in testes of 23 men, ages 51 to 90,was determined as 490±172 ng/g tissue (M±s.D.) and 20α-dihydroprogesterone concentration as 10.0±2.3 ng/g tissue (M±S.D.) in 18 men of the same patient group. Leydig cells were estimated by the number of Leydig cell clusters per tubule. There was a high correlation (r=0.88, p<.001) of the Leydig cell index with intratesticular testosterone. It is proposed that the Leydig cell cluster index provides a direct index of steroid biosynthetic activity in the human testis as reflected in intratesticular testosterone levels. Although there was no significant correlation of 20α-dihydroprogesterone levels in the testis with either the Leydig cell index or intratesticular testosterone, the high level of 20α-dihydroprogesterone compared to peripheral levels suggests its production by the testis.Keywords
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