Expression of Aromatase, Estrogen Receptor α and β, Androgen Receptor, and Cytochrome P-450scc in the Human Early Prepubertal Testis

Abstract

ABSTRACT:The expression of aromatase, estrogen receptor ␣ (ER␣) and ␤ (ER␤), androgen receptor (AR), and cytochrome P-450 side chain cleavage enzyme (cP450 scc ) was studied in prepubertal testis. Samples were divided in three age groups (GRs): GR1, newborns (1-to 21-d-old neonates, n ϭ 5); GR2, postnatal activation stage (1-to 7-mo-old infants, n ϭ 6); GR3, childhood (12-to 60-mo-old boys, n ϭ 4). Absent or very poor detection of ER␣ by immunohistochemistry in all cells and by mRNA expression was observed. Leydig cells (LCs) of GR1 and GR2 showed strong immunostaining of aromatase and cP450 scc but weak staining of ER␤ and AR. Interstitial cells (ICs) and Sertoli cells (SCs) expressed ER␤, particularly in GR1 and GR2. Strong expression of AR was found in peritubular cells (PCs). For all markers, expression in GR3 was the weakest. In germ cells (GCs), i.e. gonocytes and spermatogonia, aromatase and ER␤ were immunoexpressed strongly whereas no expression of ER␣, AR, or cP450 scc was detected. It is proposed that in newborn and infantile testis, testosterone acting on PCs might modulate infant LC differentiation, whereas the absence of AR in SCs prevents development of spermatogenesis. The role of estrogen is less clear, but it could modulate the preservation of an adequate pool of precursor LCs and GCs. (Pediatr Res 60: 740-744, 2006)

The immunoexpression of androgen receptor, estrogen receptors alpha and beta, vanilloid type 1 receptor and cytochrome p450 aromatase in rats testis chronically treated with letrozole, an aromatase inhibitor

“…In the present study, the immunolocalization of AR in nuclei of Sertoli cells, myoid and Leydig cells of testis from control and experimental rats was in agreement with many previous studies [13,16,[29][30][31]. However, we also found the cytoplasm of spermatogonia and spermatocytes in III/IV stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle in testis of experimental rats was AR-immunopositive, while the cytoplasm of germ cells of other stages of the seminiferous epithelium cycle was immunonegative.…”

Teasing out the role of aromatase in the healthy and diseased testis

“…During the neonatal period in testicular specimens obtained from boys aged between 1 and 21 d, aromatase has been immunolocalized in both Leydig and germ cells with inconsistent staining in Sertoli cells across patient samples. 33 The same study also showed that aromatase immunolocalization between 1 mo and 5 y of age in germ and Sertoli cells is consistent with the neonatal results, however between 1 and 7 mo of age, the intensity of Leydig cell immunoreactivty decreases and between 1 and 5 y the Leydig cell aromatase immunoreactivity is absent. 33 In contrast, another study has claimed that at 3 and 8 mo of age no aromatase immunoreactivity is present in any testicular cell type.…”

Estrogen receptors and function in the male reproductive system

“…In humans, ESR2, but not ESR1 and androgen receptor (AR), is expressed in gonocytes and spermatogonia (29). It is worth to mention that ESR2 is coexpressed with ESR1 in tumoral seminoma cells, where it may counteract the tumor cell proliferation mediated by ESR1 (30).…”