Cholesterol accumulation, lipid droplet formation, and steroid production in Leydig cells: Role of translocator protein (18-kDa).

These results support the conclusion that FGIN-1-27 stimulates steroid formation by increasing TSPO-mediated cholesterol translocation into the inner mitochondria for steroidogenesis, as well as into the cytosol for lipid droplet formation. FGIN-1-27 also increased steroid formation at least in part by inducing the conversion of cholesteryl ester located in lipid droplets to cholesterol, thus making available more substrate for steroid formation.