Testosterone-promoting effects of Trichosanthes kirilowii-derived peptides on TM3 cells

Bioactive peptides have been shown to have a variety of functions, but very few studies have tapped into their promotional effects and mechanisms on testosterone synthesis. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of Trichosanthes kirilowii-derived peptide on testosterone synthesis in TM3 cells and its mechanism of action. In this study, we found that the peptide purification fraction TSH1-3 and the peptide VTPVGSPR from Trichosanthes kirilowii seed hydrolysate (TSH) significantly promoted the synthesis of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, free testosterone, and androstenedione in TM3. Furthermore, TSH1-3 regulates the expression of testosterone synthesis-related genes and proteins StAR, TSPO, CYP11A1, and 3β-HSD in a dose-dependent manner. In addition, given the strong link between mitochondrial biogenesis and testosterone synthesis, we further found that both TSH1-3 and VTPVGSPR promoted mtDNA production and up-regulated the expression of genes important for mitochondrial biogenesis, PGC-1α, TFAM, TFB1M, TFB2M, NRF1 and NRF2. In short, this study demonstrates that TSH can be used as a potential dietary supplement to promote sex hormone production and regulate physical health.