Testicular steroidogenesis is suppressed during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis in rats.

ABSTRACT: Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an autoimmune disease that usually occurs during the reproductive years in both sexes. Many male patients with MS show lower blood testosterone levels, which was also observed in male rats during experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE), an animal model of MS. To better understand the causes of decreased testosterone production during EAE, we investigated the expression status of genes and proteins associated with steroidogenesis in the testes. No changes in the number of interstitial cells were observed in EAE animals, but the expression of the insulin-like 3 gene was reduced at the peak of the disease, implying that the Leydig cell functional capacity was affected. Consistent with this finding, the expression of most steroidogenic enzyme genes and protei

SUBMITTER: Milosevic A 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8076254 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature