Effects of ethane dimethane sulfonate on fetal Leydig cells in neonatal rats

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effects of ethane dimethane sulfonate (EDS) on fetal Leydig cells (FLCs) in neonatal rats. METHODS: In the study, 40 male neonatal SD rats were divided into control group and experimental groups. The rats in the experimental groups aged 3 days (PND3) were intraperitoneally injected with one single EDS (75, 100 and 125 mg/kg). The samples were collected on PND7. The body and testes was weighed, and the serum level of testosterone was detected. One testis was for histological analysis (3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase stainining), and the other was frozen in refrigerator for molecular determination (RT-PCR, Western blot). RESULTS: Compared with the control group, on day 4 after EDS treatment, significant decrease of serum testosterone was observed in the 75, 100 and 125 mg/kg experimental groups [(0.542 ± 0.117) μg/L, (0.124 ± 0.021) μg/L, (0.113 ± 0.015) μg/L, vs. (0.834 ± 0.172) μg/L, P<0.05]. Meanwhile, fetal Leydig cells in clusters disappeared with a lower expression level of Hsd3b1 and Cyp17a1 after EDS treatment in the testes of neonatal male rats in EDS (100 mg/kg)-treatment group (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Ethane dimethane sulfonate can specifically deplete the fetal Leydig cells in testes of neonatal rats. Thus we could establish the FLCs' depletion model to know more about these testicular interstitial cells.