Effects of Chronic Sulpiride‐Induced Hyperprolactinemia on Plasma Testosterone and Its Responses to hCG in Normal MenOSEKO, FUMIMARO; OKA, NOBUYUKI; FURUYA, HIROSHI; MORIKAWA, KEIKO
doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1988.tb01042.xpmid: 3182393
To elucidate the effects of sulpiride‐induced (300 mg daily) long‐term (64 days) hyperprolactinemia on basal and hCG‐stimulated plasma testosterone (T), hCG was given to five normal men five times at 2‐week intervals (before sulpiride administration and at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks). Mean integrated hCG responses of plasma T did not change significantly as compared with baseline. However, mean (± SEM) basal plasma levels of T decreased significantly (P < 0.05) from 1011 ± 148 ng/dl to 852 ± 13 at 2 weeks, 520 ± 53 at 4 weeks, 572 ± 137 at 6 weeks and 554 ± 140 at 8 weeks. These results suggest that sulpiride‐induced hyperprolactinemia (73.8 ng/ml, the average of mean values obtained at 2, 4, 6 and 8 weeks) for 64 days does not suppress secretion of T in response to hCG in spite of a decrease in basal plasma T concentrations. It is unlikely that the low concentrations of plasma T are due to direct effects of hyperprolactinemia on the testis.
The Relationship Between the Motility and Morphology of Spermatozoa in Human SemenMORALES, P.; KATZ, D. F.; OVERSTREET, J. W.; SAMUELS, S. J.; CHANG, R. J.
doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1988.tb01045.xpmid: 3182394
High‐speed videomicrography was used to assess simultaneously the morphology and motility of seminal spermatozoa from 10 fertile donors and 10 patients being evaluated for infertility. In both donors and patients, morphologically normal spermatozoa were more likely to be motile and had significantly higher straight line velocity, greater rolling frequency and flagellar beat frequency than abnormally shaped cells. For donors and patients there were highly significant, linear correlations (R = 0.7 to R = 0.98) between the movement characteristics of morphologically normal and abnormal spermatozoa within an ejaculate. A greater percentage of normal donor spermatozoa were motile than were the normal spermatozoa from patients (56% vs. 28%, respectively, P < 0.005) and normal donor spermatozoa also swam faster than normal patient spermatozoa (49.1 ± 3.2 μm/sec vs. 37.4 ± 4.3 μm/sec, mean ± sem, respectively, P < 0.05). Overall, a multivariate analysis of variance, including straight line velocity, rolling frequency, beat frequency, and flagellar beat amplitude, demonstrated that these movement characteristics were significantly greater for the normal cells from donors than for the normal spermatozoa from patients. These biologic distinctions notwithstanding, the discrimination between semen from donors and patients was not improved when only morphologically normal cells were analyzed for motility.
Effects of Ethanol Consumption on the Morphology of the Rat Seminiferous EpitheliumWEINBERG, JOANNE; VOGL, A. WAYNE
doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1988.tb01049.xpmid: 3182396
The effects of ethanol consumption on the morphology of the seminiferous epithelium, with particular emphasis on Sertoli cell ultrastructure, were examined during and following pubertal development. Sprague‐Dawley rats were maintained on chronically high levels of ethanol for 7 weeks beginning at 29 days of age. Animals in Group 1 were fed a liquid diet containing ethanol (36% ethanol‐derived calories) ad libitum. Group 2 animals were paired with animals in Group 1 and fed a liquid control diet in the amount consumed by their ethanol partners (g/kg body wt/day). Animals in Group 3 were fed Purina rodent chow ad libitum. Blood samples were collected at 60 days for determination of plasma testosterone levels. On day 79, each epididymis, the adrenals and the right testis were removed from anesthetized animals and weighed; the left testis was removed and processed for light and electron microscopy.
Differential Effects of (+) and (−)Gossypol Enantiomers on Mitochondrial Function and Proliferation of Cultured TM4 CellsTANPHAICHITR, NONGNUJ; FITZGERALD, LISA M.; MATLIN, STEPHEN A.
doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1988.tb01050.xpmid: 3182397
The in vitro effects of (+) and (–)gossypol enantiomers on thde mitochondrial functions of mouse transformed Sertoli, TM4 cells were investigated by monitoring mitochondrial rhodamine 123 accumulation. When TM4 cells were cultured in medium without fetal calf serum, 5 μg/ml of both enantiomers caused similar declines in mitochondrial rhodamine 123 staining. By contrast, (–)gossypol had a greater adverse action than did (+)gossypol on the mitochondria of TM4 cells that were cultured in medium supplemented with 2% fetal calf serum. Construction of dose response curves for the effects of the two enantiomers on rhodamine 123 accumulation by TM4 cells after 5 hr of drug treatment gave an EC50 of 7.5 μg/ml for the (–)gossypol isomer compared with 18 μg/ml for the (+)gossypol isomer. Similarly, TM4 cell proliferation was also more disturbed by (–)gossypol in medium supplemented with other concentrations of fetal calf serum. The results suggest that the lower effect of (+)gossypol on TM4 cells may be attributed to its higher affinity to serum components, which may impede its entrance into TM4 cells.
Endocrine Parameters, Hormone Receptors, and Functions of the Testicular Interstitium and Seminiferous Epithelium in Estradiol‐Immunized Ile‐de‐France RamsMONET‐KUNTZ, C.; REVIERS, M. T. HOCHEREAU‐; PISSELET, C.; PERREAU, C.; FONTAINE, I.; SCHANBACHER, B. D.
doi: 10.1002/j.1939-4640.1988.tb01051.xpmid: 2846486
The testicular response of Ile‐de‐France rams actively immunized against estradiol (E2) was evaluated during both the ovine nonbreeding season (spring) and breeding season (autumn). Plasma concentrations of LH, FSH and testosterone were elevated in E2‐immunized rams during both spring and autumn when compared with BSA‐immunized controls. Testis weights were significantly elevated by E2 immunization and were characterized by greater interstitial cell volume, including Leydig cells, blood and lymph vessels, greater seminiferous tubule length, and greater numbers of leptotene spermatocytes and round spermatids. Neither Sertoli cell number, Sertoli cell nuclear volume nor testicular FSH receptor number were affected by E2 immunization, but testis weight, Sertoli cell nuclear area, FSH receptor number and LH receptor number were significantly greater in autumn than in spring. A positive effect of E2 immunization on testicular LH receptors was evident in spring but not in autumn. Testicular androgen receptors were suppressed by E2 immunization but were not affected by season. It was concluded that E2 immunization results in moderate stimulation of the ovine testis to increase testosterone secretion and to enhance total daily spermatid production. This effect appears to result from a change in E2 negative feedback and increased pituitary gonadotropin secretion.