Journal of Andrology
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Published-Ahead-of-Print November 1, 2006, DOI:10.2164/jandrol.106.000810
Journal of Andrology, Vol. 28, No. 2, March/April 2007
Copyright © American Society of Andrology
DOI: 10.2164/jandrol.106.000810

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Ghrelin Expression in Human Testis and Serum Testosterone Level

TOMOMOTO ISHIKAWA, HITOSHI FUJIOKA, TAKESHI ISHIMURA, ATSUSHI TAKENAKA AND MASATO FUJISAWA

From the Division of Urology, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, Kobe, Japan.

Correspondence to: Dr Tomomoto Ishikawa, Division of Urology, Department of Organs Therapeutics, Faculty of Medicine, Kobe University Graduate School of Medicine, 7-5-1 Kusunoki-Cho, Chuo-Ku, Kobe, Japan 650-0017 (e-mail: iskwtmmt{at}med.kobe-u.ac.jp).


Ghrelin, which is the endogenous ligand for the growth hormone (GH) secretagogue receptor (GHS-R), has been primarily linked to the central neuroendocrine regulation of GH secretion and food intake, although additional peripheral actions of ghrelin have also been reported. Recent research has suggested that ghrelin also affects testosterone (T) secretion in vitro. To investigate the role of ghrelin in human testicular function, we examined the expression of ghrelin in testicular tissues by immunohistochemistry. Testicular tissue samples were collected from the testes of 5 fertile volunteers, 8 patients with obstructive azoospermia, and 36 oligospermic patients with varicocele testis. In the testicular tissues, ghrelin was stained using the antighrelin polyclonal antibody, and the Johnsen score was calculated. The concentrations of serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), lutenizing hormone (LH), and T were determined by chemiluminescence assays. Immunostaining of ghrelin was detected in the interstitium and in Leydig cells. Ghrelin expression by Leydig cells was inversely correlated with the serum T concentration (r = –.50; P < .001), but was not directly related to spermatogenesis. We conclude that steroidogenic dysfunction is associated with increased ghrelin expression in human testes.

     Key words: Leydig




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