Biomaterial Database

Inhibition by a 4-methyl-4-aza-steroid of NADPH: delta 4-3-oxosteroid-5 alpha-oxido-reductase activity in cultured interstitial cells derived from immature rat testis. 1983

G Verhoeven, and J Cailleau

Prepubertal rat testes have high 5 alpha-reductase (delta 4-3-oxosteroid 5 alpha-oxidoreductase) activity and secrete various 5 alpha-reduced androgens. We demonstrate that Na-4-methyl-4-aza-3-oxo-5 alpha-pregnane-20 (S)-carboxylate, a potent inhibitor of the prostatic 5 alpha-reductase, competitively inhibits the microsomal 5 alpha-reductase of rat testis. The apparent Ki for testosterone is 3.5 nM. At a concentration of 5 X 10(-7) M this compound efficiently inhibits the 5 alpha-reductase in cultured interstitial cells derived from prepubertal rats. Testosterone and 4-androstene-3,17-dione are the major androgens produced by these cells in the presence of inhibitor. It is concluded that 4-methyl-4-aza-steroids are a useful tool in the study of steroid secretion by prepubertal Leydig cells.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007700	Kinetics	The rate dynamics in chemical or physical systems.
D008297	Male		Males
D008861	Microsomes	Artifactual vesicles formed from the endoplasmic reticulum when cells are disrupted. They are isolated by differential centrifugation and are composed of three structural features: rough vesicles, smooth vesicles, and ribosomes. Numerous enzyme activities are associated with the microsomal fraction. (Glick, Glossary of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 1990; from Rieger et al., Glossary of Genetics: Classical and Molecular, 5th ed)	Microsome
D010088	Oxidoreductases	The class of all enzymes catalyzing oxidoreduction reactions. The substrate that is oxidized is regarded as a hydrogen donor. The systematic name is based on donor:acceptor oxidoreductase. The recommended name will be dehydrogenase, wherever this is possible; as an alternative, reductase can be used. Oxidase is only used in cases where O2 is the acceptor. (Enzyme Nomenclature, 1992, p9)	Dehydrogenases,Oxidases,Oxidoreductase,Reductases,Dehydrogenase,Oxidase,Reductase
D011278	Pregnanes	Saturated derivatives of the steroid pregnane. The 5-beta series includes PROGESTERONE and related hormones; the 5-alpha series includes forms generally excreted in the urine.
D002478	Cells, Cultured	Cells propagated in vitro in special media conducive to their growth. Cultured cells are used to study developmental, morphologic, metabolic, physiologic, and genetic processes, among others.	Cultured Cells,Cell, Cultured,Cultured Cell
D000818	Animals	Unicellular or multicellular, heterotrophic organisms, that have sensation and the power of voluntary movement. Under the older five kingdom paradigm, Animalia was one of the kingdoms. Under the modern three domain model, Animalia represents one of the many groups in the domain EUKARYOTA.	Animal,Metazoa,Animalia
D001378	Azasteroids	Steroidal compounds in which one or more carbon atoms in the steroid ring system have been substituted with nitrogen atoms.	17- Azasteroids,4- Azasteroids,Azasteroid,17 Azasteroids,4 Azasteroids,Azasteroids, 17-,Azasteroids, 4-
D012741	Sexual Maturation	Achievement of full sexual capacity in animals and in humans.	Sex Maturation,Maturation, Sex,Maturation, Sexual
D013260	Steroids, Heterocyclic	Steroidal compounds in which one or more carbon atoms in the steroid ring system have been substituted with non-carbon atoms.	Heterocyclic Steroids