Age-related decline in the steroidogenic capacity of isolated rat Leydig cells: a defect in cholesterol mobilization and processing.

This study was designed to evaluate the effects of aging on steroidogenesis and intracellular cholesterol processing in rat Leydig cells. Maximum gonadotropin-induced testosterone secretion was significantly reduced in Leydig cells from 18 to 27-month-old rats compared to 2 to 5-month-old rats. The decreased production of testosterone in older groups persisted after incubation with cAMP analogs or other non-specific stimulatory agents. This age-related loss in testosterone response was not due to changes in gonadotropin receptor concentration, cAMP concentration, protein kinase A activation or the activity of key steroidogenic enzymes. The content of cellular cholesteryl esters doubled as rats aged from 5 to 18 months, and this high cholesteryl esters level remained constant through 27 months. The ability of hCG to mobilize (hydrolyze) stored cholesteryl ester for testosterone production was significantly reduced (65-75%) in cells from the older rats. This change could be accounted for by the decline in activity of neutral cholesteryl esterase in Leydig cells from 18-month-old rats. In contrast, the activity of a non-specific lysosomal acidic cholesteryl esterase did not change with age. The activity of HMG CoA reductase, the rate limiting enzyme in cholesterol biosynthesis decreased about 70% between 5 and 18 months and fell slightly further as the rats aged to 27 months. Also, [14C]acetate or [3H]H2O incorporation into cellular sterols showed a similar decline. Cyanoketone plus hCG stimulated pregnenolone production was reduced about 70-80% in old as compared to young cells. Leydig cells from young rats responded to hCG with increased accumulation of mitochondrial cholesterol in the presence and absence of steroidogenic inhibitors. On the other hand, old cells responded poorly to hCG and mitochondrial cholesterol levels were little affected by hCG plus cycloheximide or aminoglutethimide. Together, these data indicate that alterations in the intracellular processing and metabolism of cholesteryl esters occur in Leydig cells of aging rats, and we suggest they may be responsible for the observed age-related changes in testosterone production.