Journal of Andrology

LABRIE, FERNAND; BÉLANGER, ALAIN; CUSAN, LIONEL; SEGUIN, CARL; PELLETIER, GEORGES; KELLY, PAUL A.; REEVES, JERRY J.; LEFEBVRE, FLEUR‐ANGE; LEMAY, ANDRE; GOURDEAU, YVES; RAYNAUD, JEAN‐PIERRE

doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1980.tb00034.xpmid: N/A

Acute or chronic treatment of adult male rats with LHRH or its agonists leads to a loss of testicular LH and prolactin receptors accompanied by decreased testis, seminal vesicle, and ventral prostate weight. The inhibition of testosterone formation is due to a blockage of the steroidogenic pathway at the level of 17‐hydroxylase and 17,20‐desmolase activities. The testicular desensitization is accompanied by a decreased pituitary responsiveness to LHRH. Although the inhibitory effects at the testicular level could be explained by endogenous LH release induced by the LHRH agonist with secondary testicular desensitization, the LH‐releasing peptides also exert direct inhibitory effects on gonadotropin receptors at the testicular level. Moreover, LHRH and its agonists bind to a specific LHRH receptor in interstitial cells. Chronic treatment with LHRH agonists leads to marked degenerative changes in the seminiferous tubules, almost all tubules showing signs of histologic damage after four weeks of treatment. Single administration of an LHRH agonist by the intranasal route in normal adult men causes a transient inhibition of plasma testosterone levels with a temporary loss of diurnal cyclicity, whereas preliminary data obtained in patients with cancer of the prostate show inhibition of both testosterone and dihydrotestosterone plasma levels. Such data suggest the potential use of LHRH agonists in male contraception and for the treatment of cancer of the prostate.

MANN, THADDEUS; JONES, ROY; SHERINS, RICHARD J.

doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1980.tb00035.xpmid: N/A

Anaerobic fructolysis was studied in human spermatozoa from 1) normal, 2) oligospermic, and 3) necrospermic semen, as well as 4) in normal spermatozoa irreversibly immobilized with a spermicidal agent (lipid peroxide); the rate of fructolysis was determined by measuring the amount of L‐(+)‐lactic acid produced during anaerobic incubation in fructose‐supplemented sperm suspensions with identical concentrations of spermatozoa and fructose. Motile spermatozoa from normal semen produced lactic acid at a steady rate for at least 2 hours at 37 C, but when immobilized with peroxidized linoleic acid they lost rapidly and irreversibly all fructolytic ability. There was no substantial difference in the rates of anaerobic fructolysis between sperm suspensions prepared 1) from six individual specimens of normal semen and 2) from pooled ejaculates of ten oligospermic patients. In three of a group of four infertile men diagnosed as necrospermic, the immotile spermatozoa failed to produce lactic acid from fructose. In the fourth individual, the spermatozoa, although immotile at the time of testing, were able to convert fructose to lactic acid, but at a reduced rate; this patient's semen has been examined periodically over the last three years and has contained mostly immotile spermatozoa, but a few times motility was definitely observed, especially after treatment with caffeine. The authors conclude from their results that necrospermia may be associated with diverse metabolic defects, one of them being loss of fructolytic ability by human spermatozoa.

HAWKINS, EDWARD F.; TRACHTENBERG, JOHN; HICKS, L. LOUISE; WALSH, PATRICK C.

doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1980.tb00036.xpmid: N/A

Characterization of cytosol and 0.6 M KCl‐nuclear androgen and estrogen receptors in the canine prostate is described, including methods for assay of these molecules in tissue samples from intact, adult dogs. Androgen receptors were quantitated by exchange incubations (20 hours for cytosol and 26 hours for nuclear extract at 0 C; incubations at higher temperatures (15 or 30 C) resulted in substantial reduction of saturable binding activity. Apparently, virtually all the estrogen receptor sites in cytosol and nuclear extract are unoccupied, since these were equally filled with H3‐estradiol at 0 C (nonexchange incubation) and 30 C (exchange conditions) during 20‐hour incubations. Androgen receptors were assayed using the synthetic androgen methyltrienolone (R1881), and estradiol‐17β was selected for estrogen receptor determinations. Using the assay conditions described, neither of these ligands bound to the sex steroid‐binding protein of canine blood. Steroid competition experiments indicated that the androgen and estrogen receptors are distinct molecules. Scatchard plot analyses were linear, suggesting a single class of high affinity sites for each receptor (Kd's in the 10−9 to 10−10 mol/l range). Saturable estradiol binding was additionally detected by sucrose gradient analysis of cytosol and nuclear extract. The 4S sedimentation of the cytosol receptor is typical of prostate cytoplasmic estrogen receptors; the nuclear form sedimented at 5S. The estrogen and androgen binding proteins satisfy criteria that distinguish them from blood steroid binding proteins and classify them as intracellular steroid hormone receptors.

ROVAN, E.; AULITZKY, H.; FRICK, J.; STEINER, M.; KOEHLE, R.; WEISKE, W.

doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1980.tb00037.xpmid: N/A

In 91 male rats, silver or platinum coils were Implanted into the vasa deferentia with the hope of developing a simple and reversible method for male fertility control. The insertion of the coil by inguinal incision promises a high success rate, and side effects such as sperm granuloma, device extravasation, displacement of the testes, and artificial ascensus could be prevented. In an in vitro experiment simulating the vas deferens anatomical conditions, the immobilizing capacity of the device was evident, and the motility of the spermatozoa decreased to 0% within 30 minutes. Longterm in vivo experiments showed no changes in the reproductive organs. However, the high rate of pregnancy after placement of the device (55%) does not suggest that such devices could offer a practical method of achieving male sterility.

ASCH, RICARDO H.; VAZE, A. Y.; THAKUR, A. N.; SHETH, ANIL R.

doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1980.tb00038.xpmid: N/A

Semen samples and blood were collected from 57 men: 23 normospermic, 20 oligospermic, 10 vasectomized, two with Klinefelter's syndrome, and two with Sertoli‐cell–only syndrome. Inhibin was measured by radioimmunoassay techniques as reported previously. Immunoreactive inhibin concentrations in seminal plasma were found to be 8000 to 10, 000 times higher than in blood. A significant correlation (P <0.005) was observed between the serum and seminal plasma concentrations in all groups. No direct correlation was observed between immunoreactive inhibin concentrations in serum or semen with number of sperm in the ejaculate or with sperm motility. Seminal plasma and serum immunoreactive inhibin levels in normospermic subjects were significantly higher than in oligospermic, vasectomized, and Klinefelter's syndrome subjects (P <0.001 and <0.01, respectively).

MAGRINI, GINO; ROUSSELLE, JEAN; HOROWSKI, REINHARD; GASPERI, MAURIZIO; FELBER, JEAN‐PIERRE

doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1980.tb00039.xpmid: N/A

Lisuride hydrogen maleate is known to reduce serum prolactin (PRL) in rodents and humans. The authors have examined the effects of short‐term lisuride administration on testicular and adrenal functions in normal male volunteers as reflected by plasma hormone levels in basal and stimulated conditions. After five days of treatment, a decrease in PRL levels was observed, whereas no substantial changes occurred in the levels of testosterone, 17 αOH progesterone (17 αOHP), androstenedione, dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA‐S), and 17 β‐estradiol (estradiol). The response to hCG (2000 IU on two consecutive days) in terms of testosterone, 17 αOHP, estradiol, and androstenedione levels was within the normal range, even though the testicular response of estradiol was enhanced and that of testosterone reduced, compared to controls. Finally, short‐term treatment with lisuride had no detectable effects on the peripheral levels of adrenal secretions. The present findings indicate that lisuride does not interfere with adrenal or testicular function in men and, therefore, may be suitable for therapeutic use as a PRL‐suppressing agent in hyperprolactinemic men.