What are Leydig's cells?

discovered in 1859 by Franz Leydig, an anatomist from Germany, Leydig's cells are found in the testes next to the seminial tubules, where sperm is produced in the testicles. Leydig's cells are also known as Leydig interstitial cells because they lie among other testes and help to support these other structures and cells. Leydig's cells play an essential role in maintaining the right levels of male hormones, including testosterone. Leydig cell disorders are considered to be the cause of some forms of infertility. Leydig cell sensitivity to LH is increased by exposure to the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which causes Leydig's cells to produce multiple LH receptors.

Inside Leydigbles of human men can be found Reinke's crystals, small crystals in the shape of a rod made of protein. The purpose of these crystals is uncertain but only occur in humans and appear to occur in larger quantities in older men, which leads to believe that they are a by -product of degenerativeHo a process related to aging. They seem to have no contribution to the production of androgenic or testosterone and can be used to easily identify Leydig cells when viewing the testicles under the microscope.

Sometimes Leydig cell tumor develops in the testicles. These types of tumors are very rare and are usually benign, although they can lead to excessive testosterone production. They occur most often in young men and a common symptom is the occurrence of exaggerated masculine characteristics. In rare cases where Leydig cell tumor is in women, the symptoms of masculinization include non -secondary male characteristics in the patient.

The

cell tumor sertoli-raydig includes Leydig's cells and sertoli cells, support cells that play an essential role in the growth of sperm cells in the testicles. Only about one percent of all tumors of the testicles are sertoli-raydig cell tumors. SymptomY are similar to the symptoms of Leydig Cell tumors, but about a quarter of Sertoli-Eydig cell tumors are malignant. Treatment usually involves surgery to remove the tumor, with caution that should be maintained by the patient's fertility, if possible, even if malignant tumors are treated more aggressively and may include the removal of the testicles and subsequent radiation treatment. In most cases, the prognosis is good because tumors tend to grow more slowly than many other malignant growths.