Regulation of interleukin 1α, activin and inhibin by lipopolysaccharide in Sertoli cells from prepubertal rats

Bacterial lipopolysaccharide increased the production of interleukin 1α and activin A, and reduced production of inhibin B, in Sertoli cells from immature male rats measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The majority of immunoreactive interleukin 1α remained within the Sertoli cell, while both activin A and inhibin B were secreted. Lipopolysaccharide-stimulated expression of two interleukin 1α mRNA transcripts, measured by quantitative RT-PCR, but the levels of bioactive interleukin 1α in Sertoli cell extracts and medium, measured by in vitro bioassay, were comparatively low to undetectable. A specific antagonist of interleukin 1α had no effect on lipopolysaccharide-stimulated activin A or inhibin B responses. These data indicate that, in contrast to Sertoli cells from adult rats, lipopolysaccharide-induced regulation of activin A and inhibin B by prepubertal Sertoli cells does not involve secreted interleukin 1α. The data highlight the possibility of a role for intracellular interleukin 1α in the Sertoli cell response to inflammation, particularly in the immature testis.