AJP - Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol 241, Issue 3 233-E237, Copyright © 1981 by American Physiological Society
FSH and testosterone effects in seminiferous tubules of immature hypophysectomized rats
J. A. Collins, S. Sepsenwol and T. Braun
The effects of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and testosterone on the
development of the cytosolic germ cell adenylate cyclase and germ cell
morphology in rats hypophysectomized at 29 days of age were studied.
Following hypophysectomy, the adenylate cyclase content fell to marginal
levels and germ cell development ceased at the late pachytene stage.
Testosterone treatment led to a moderate increase in the cytosolic enzyme
content and to progression of spermatid cell development to stages 8-12.
FSH treatment with doses of 80-100 micrograms/day restored enzyme content
to levels seen in control rats, as well as progression of germ cell
development up to stages 15-16, i.e., to the same stages present in
age-matched control (sham-operated) rats. The results indicate that in
immature rats FSH is essential for spermatid cell maturation as is
evidenced by its ability to stimulate the formation of cytosolic germ cell
adenylate cyclase to quantitatively normal levels, as well as to stimulate
the development of spermatid cells.
