The Inositol Phosphate/Diacylglycerol Pathway in MA-10 Leydig Tumor Cells

It is now well established that mouse epidermal growth factor (mEGF) modulates the hormonal responsiveness of MA-10 Leydig tumor cells but does not affect cell multiplication. The studies presented herein are the first in a series of experiments designed to characterize the intracellular signaling systems activated by mEGF and their possible roles in mediating the diverse biological actions of this growth factor in MA-10 cells. We show that (i) MA-10 cells express a hormone-sensitive inositol phosphate/diacylglycerol pathway that can be stimulated with arginine vasopressin (AVP), (ii) mEGF does not activate this pathway, and (iii) activation of this pathway with arginine vasopressin does not mimic the biological actions of mEGF. Other data presented show that lutropin/choriogonadotropin, the principal endocrine regulators of Leydig cell function, also do not stimulate the inositol phosphate/diacylglycerol pathway in MA-10 cells.