Effect of bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide treatment on duck Leydig cells

Abstract This study aimed to investigate the effects of bacterial endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS) on hormone production and gene expression in duck Leydig cells and its underlying mechanisms. Leydig cells were collected from 200-day-old mallard ducks and divided into five treatment groups (0, 50, 100, 200, and 400 ng/mL LPS). After treatment with LPS for 6, 12, 24, and 48 h, testosterone, activin, and inhibin levels in the cell supernatants were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The expression levels of testosterone synthesis-related genes, including steroidog...