Steroidogenesis in testicular cells depends upon the availability of cholesterol within testicular mitochondria besides the activities of 3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD, 17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase [17b-HSD]), and the tissue levels of steroidogenic acute regulatory protein (StAR), androgen-binding protein (ABP), and testosterone (T). Cellular cholesterol biosynthesis is regulated by endogenous oxycholesterols acting through nuclear hormone receptors. Plant oxysterols, such as 28-homobrassinolide (28-HB), available to human through diet, was shown to exhibit antihyperglycemic effect in diabetic male rat. Its role in rat testicular steroidogenesis and lipid peroxidation (LPO) was therefore assessed using normal and streptozotocin-induced diabetic male rats. Administration of 28-HB (333 µg/kg body weight) by oral gavage for 15 consecutive days to experimental rats diminished LPO, increased antioxidant enzyme, 3β-HSD and 17β-HSD activities, and elevated StAR and ABP expression and T level in rat testis. We report that 28-HB induced steroidogenesis in normal and diabetic rat testis.
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