Fig. 2.

Exogenous SLIT2 decreases steroidogenesis in Leydig cells in vitro. Expression of Star, Cyp11a1 and Cyp17a1 determined by RT-qPCR in MA10 cells treated a for 4 h with vehicle or 1, 5 and 10 µg/ml exogenous SLIT2; b for 2, 4, 8 and 24 h with vehicle or 10 µg/ml SLIT2. c Representative graph of progesterone concentrations (corrected to RNA input) measured in the spent culture media of MA10 cells treated for 8 h with vehicle or 10 µg/ml SLIT2. d Expression of Star, Cyp11a1 and Cyp17a1 determined by RT-qPCR and e representative graph of testosterone concentrations (corrected to RNA input) measured in the spent culture media of mouse primary Leydig cell cultures treated for 8 h with vehicle or 10 µg/ml SLIT2. Experiments were performed three times in triplicate. Expression of each transcript was normalized to the housekeeping gene Rplp0. Data are means ± sem; statistical analysis (Student’s T-test): *p < 0.05; **p < 0.01; ***p < 0.001