Figure 1.

Serum starvation enhances androgen production in human adrenal H295R and mouse Leydig MA-10 cells. Steroid profiles of H295R and MA-10 cells grown under starvation growth condition (SM) for 48 h were assessed and compared to normal growth conditions (GM). Steroid production was labeled with [³H] pregnenolone for 90 min. Steroids were extracted and resolved by TLC. A representative TLC is shown on the left and quantitative analysis of four independent experiments on the right. (A) Steroid profiling of H295R cells in GM vs SM conditions. (B) Steroid profiling of MA-10 cells in GM vs SM conditions. Data are the mean ± SD of three to four independent experiments. * p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01. Prog, progesterone; Δ4A, androstenedione; Preg, pregnenolone; 17OH Preg, 17α-hydroxypregnenolone; 17OH Prog, 17OHP; 11DOC, 11-deoxycortisol, 20α-DHP, 20α-dihydro-progesterone.