Physiology and Pathology of the Leydig Cell

LEYDIG cells, the interstitial cells of the testes, lie between the seminiferous tubules and produce androgenic steroids. The secretion of testosterone in men has been thought to be regulated by a feedback system in which luteinizing hormone from the anterior pituitary stimulates the conversion of cholesterol to testosterone. Testosterone, or one of its metabolites, modulates the sensitivity of the pituitary to hypothalamic luteinizing-hormone-releasing hormone, which in turn regulates the blood level of luteinizing hormone.Until recently, it was assumed that Leydig cells were relatively resistant to systemic disease and that their function was governed by a simple regulatory mechanism. It . . .