| First Author | Shang T | Year | 2011 |
| Journal | Endocrinology | Volume | 152 |
| Issue | 7 | Pages | 2827-36 |
| PubMed ID | 21540291 | Mgi Jnum | J:174897 |
| Mgi Id | MGI:5141382 | Doi | 10.1210/en.2011-0031 |
| Citation | Shang T, et al. (2011) Toll-like receptor-initiated testicular innate immune responses in mouse leydig cells. Endocrinology 152(7):2827-36 |
| abstractText | The testis is an immunoprivileged site, where the local cell-initiated testicular innate immune responses play a crucial role in defense against microbial infections. Mechanisms modulating the testicular cell-built defense system remain to be clarified. In this article, we demonstrate that Leydig cells, a major cell population in the testicular interstitium, initiate innate immunity through the activation of Toll-like receptors (TLRs). Several TLRs are expressed in mouse Leydig cells; among these, TLR3 and TLR4 are expressed at relatively high levels compared with other TLR members. Both TLR3 and TLR4 can be activated by their agonists (polyinosinic:polycytidylic acid and lipopolysaccharide) in Leydig cells and subsequently induce the production of inflammatory factors, such as IL-1beta, IL-6, TNF-alpha, and type 1 interferons (IFN) (IFN-alpha and IFN-beta). Notably, the activation of TLR3 and TLR4 suppresses steroidogenesis by Leydig cells. Further, we provide evidence that Axl and Mer receptor tyrosine kinases are expressed in Leydig cells and regulate TLR-mediated innate immune responses negatively. Data presented here describe a novel function of Leydig cells in eliciting testicular innate immune responses that should contribute to the protection of the testis from microbial infections. |
