Isolation, culture, characterization and the functional study of testicular Leydig cells from Hezuo pig

Abstract Testosterone, an important sex hormone, regulates sexual maturation, testicular development, spermatogenesis and the maintenance of secondary sexual characteristics in males. Testicular Leydig cells are the primary source of testosterone production in the body. Hezuo pigs, native to the southern part of Gansu, China, are characterized by early sexual maturity, strong disease resistance and roughage tolerance. This study employed type IV collagenase digestion combined with cell sieve filtration to isolate and purify Leydig cells from the testicular tissue of 1‐month‐old Hezuo pigs. We also preliminarily investigated the functions of these cells. The results indicated that the purity of the isolated and purified Leydig cells was as high as 95%. Immunofluorescence analysis demonstrated that the isolated cells specifically expressed the 3β‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase antibody. Enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay results showed that the testosterone secretion of the Leydig cells cultured in vitro (generations 5–9) ranged between 1.29–1.67 ng/mL. Additionally, the content of the cellular autophagy signature protein microtubule‐associated protein 1 light chain 3 was measured at 230–280 pg/mL. Through this study, we established an in vitro system for the isolation, purification and characterization of testicular Leydig cells from 1‐month‐old Hezuo pigs, providing a reference for exploring the molecular mechanism behind precocious puberty in Hezuo pigs.