Biol Reprod Keystone Symposia Conference on Frontiers in Reproductive Biology & Regulation of Fertility.
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
Right arrow An erratum has been published
Right arrow Alert me when this article is cited
Right arrow Alert me if a correction is posted
Services
Right arrow Email this article to a friend
Right arrow Similar articles in this journal
Right arrow Similar articles in PubMed
Right arrow Alert me to new issues of the journal
Right arrow Download to citation manager
Right arrow reprints & permissions
Citing Articles
Right arrow Citing Articles via HighWire
Right arrow Citing Articles via Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by RAJ, H. G. M.
Right arrow Articles by DYM, M.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by RAJ, H. G. M.
Right arrow Articles by DYM, M.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by RAJ, H. G. M.
Right arrow Articles by DYM, M.

Biology of Reproduction, Vol 14, 489-494, Copyright © 1976 by Society for the Study of Reproduction

The Effects of Selective Withdrawal of FSH or LH on Spermatogenesis in the Immature Rat

H. G. MADHWA RAJ 1, and MARTIN DYM 1

1 Departments of Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Physiology and Department of Anatomy, Laboratory of Human Reproduction and Reproductive Biology, Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts 02115


Neutralizing antisera to rat follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and sheep luteinizing hormone (LH) have been prepared and made monospecific by suitable absorption. The antiserum to rat FSH is devoid of contaminating antibodies to LH, binds only to I1 2 5 FSH, and neutralizes the biological activity of rat FSH in the HCG augmentation assay. The anti-sheep LH serum cross-reacts with rat LH and causes abortion when injected into 8-day pregnant rats. Administration of anti-LH serum to 20 day male rats, over a 14 day period, resulted in an 80% reduction in testes weight, accompanied by a marked reduction in the weights of the epididymides, ventral prostate and seminal vesicles. The size of the Leydig cells, the diameter of the seminiferous tubules, and the number of germ cells were all reduced. In this anti-LH group serum testosterone levels were 113 ± 6 pg/ml compared to control values of 616 ± 138 pg/ml. Treatment with anti-FSH serum decreased the weight of the testes by 50% without any reduction in the weights of the accessory organs or in the levels of serum testosterone (532 ± 75 pg/ml). The Leydig cells appeared normal; however, the tubule diameter and the number of spermatids and spermatocytes were also reduced when compared to the controls. Thus, it appears that selective withdrawal of FSH interferes with spermatogenesis in the immature rat, without alterations in the serum testosterone levels.

Note:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Supported in part by grant HD-02344 from the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, and by The Bing Fund. The authors thank NIAMDD and Dr. A. F. Parlow for the gifts of sheep and rat FSH, LH and prolactin preparations, Dr. H. Papkoff for the purified ovine LH, and Dr. B. V. Caldwell for the testosterone antiserum.

Submitted on December 3, 1976
Accepted on January 13, 1976




This article has been cited by other articles:


Home page
 J EndocrinolHome page
A Catizone, G Ricci, J Del Bravo, and M Galdieri
Hepatocyte growth factor modulates in vitro survival and proliferation of germ cells during postnatal testis development.
J. Endocrinol., April 1, 2006; 189(1): 137 - 146.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

Home page
 EndocrinologyHome page
N. G. Wreford, T. Rajendra Kumar, M. M. Matzuk, and D. M. de Kretser
Analysis of the Testicular Phenotype of the Follicle-Stimulating Hormone {beta}-Subunit Knockout and the Activin Type II Receptor Knockout Mice by Stereological Analysis
Endocrinology, July 1, 2001; 142(7): 2916 - 2920.
[Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]


HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1976 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction.