離體實驗研究鹿科動物萊氏細胞睪酮之生產

An In Vitro Test on Testosterone Production of Deer Leydig Cells

本實驗純化台灣水鹿、台灣梅花鹿及台灣山羌硬角期萊氏細胞並檢測睪酮產量，將萊氏細胞處理人類絨毛膜性促素及三個前驅物，包含膽固醇、孕烯醇酮、雄脂烯二酮。在三種鹿科動物的實驗中，評估最小刺激睪酮產量的濃度依序人類絨毛膜性促素為0.5 IU/ml、膽固醇為10^3 nM 、孕烯醇酮為10^3 nM，以及雄脂烯二酮為10^2 nM 。實驗結果顯示培養三天即可刺激睪酮產量，藉由本研究之成果可提供鹿科動物離體實驗初步方法學之探討。

Testosterone production of Leydig cells (LC) purified from testes of the sambar deer (Cervus unicolor Swinhoei); the sika deer (Cervus nippon taiouanus) and the Reeves' muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi micrurus) at the hard antler stage were examined in vitro. They were treated with various concentrations of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and three steroidogenic precursors: namely, 25-OH-cholesterol, pregnenolone and androstenedione. The minimum effective concentrations for stimulating the LC testosterone productivity were determined at 0.5 IU/ml for hCG, 10^3 nM for 25-OH-cholesterol, 10^3 nM for pregnenolone, and 10^2nM for androstenedione. All treatments resulted in detectable testosterone production after 3 days of the incubation for all three deer species tested. The results demonstrated that purified deer LC was a useful in vitro tool for further investigations on cervid physiology.