AJP - Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol 248, Issue 3 274-E280, Copyright © 1985 by American Physiological Society
Androgens in male rat reproductive tract fluids: hypophysectomy and steroid replacement
T. T. Turner, L. L. Ewing, C. E. Jones, S. S. Howards and B. Zegeye
The control of androgen concentrations in the intraluminal fluids of the
male reproductive tract is not well understood. The present experiments
were performed to determine the effects of hypophysectomy, hypophysectomy
plus testosterone (T), and hypophysectomy plus pregnenolone treatment on
intraluminal androgen concentrations in the adult rat testis and
epididymis. T and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) concentrations were
determined in the vascular, interstitial, and intraluminal compartments of
the epididymis. Testicular and epididymal morphology also were examined
under light microscopy. Hypophysectomy of at least 5 days duration
significantly reduced T and DHT concentrations in serum, tissues, and
intraluminal fluids of the reproductive tract. T replacement for 14 days,
which produced peripheral T concentrations of 5 ng/ml, did not support
intraluminal androgen concentrations in the seminiferous tubules equivalent
to controls; rete testis androgen concentrations were similar to controls,
however. Pregnenolone administration at 2 mg X rat-1 X day-1 for 14 days
did not maintain spermatogenesis nor intraluminal T concentrations in the
seminiferous tubules equivalent to controls; however, a low level of
spermatogenesis continued when intraluminal and tissue androgen
concentrations were maintained at 10-20% of controls by either the
testosterone and pregnenolone treatments.
