Regulation of human fetal testicular secretion of testosterone: low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol and cholesterol synthesized de novo as steroid precursor.

The results of the present investigation support the conclusion that low-density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol facilitates androgen synthesis in human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG)-treated human fetal testicular tissue in vitro. Moreover, the number of LDL receptors and the rate of de novo synthesis of cholesterol are high during the period of active fetal testicular steroidogenesis and fall with advancing gestational age, suggestive of regulation by hCG.