Objective: To study the differentially expressed proteins in the process of annexin 5 stimulating testosterone secretion in cultured rat Leydig cells.
Methods: Primary rat Leydig cells were cultured in vitro and treated with annexin 5 at the concentration of 1 nmol/L for 24 hours, and the cell proteins were extracted to be compared by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE). The differentially expressed protein spots were selected to be analyzed by mass spectrometry.
Results: We obtained electrophoresis profiles with high resolution and reproducibility, found 50 differentially expressed protein spots, and identified 36 by mass spectrometry, of which 23 were overexpressed and 13 underexpressed in the Leydig cells treated with annexin 5.
Conclusion: Differentially expressed protein profiles were established in the process of annexin 5 stimulating testosterone secretion in cultured rat Leydig cells, and identified the key role of these proteins in testosterone secretion. Our findings might be helpful to illuminate the mechanism of annexin 5 regulating testosterone secretion in rat Leydig cells.