Biol Reprod Lalor Postdoctoral Fellowships -- Application Deadline January 15, 2009
HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced]


     

This Article
Right arrow Full Text (PDF)
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 Google Scholar
Google Scholar
Right arrow Articles by JUNIEWICZ, P. E.
Right arrow Articles by JOHNSON, B. H.
Right arrow Search for Related Content
PubMed
Right arrow PubMed Citation
Right arrow Articles by JUNIEWICZ, P. E.
Right arrow Articles by JOHNSON, B. H.
Agricola
Right arrow Articles by JUNIEWICZ, P. E.
Right arrow Articles by JOHNSON, B. H.

Biology of Reproduction, Vol 25, 725-733, Copyright © 1981 by Society for the Study of Reproduction

Influence of Adrenal Steroids upon Testosterone Secretion by the Boar Testis

P. E. JUNIEWICZ 1, and B. H. JOHNSON 1

1 Reproductive Physiology Research Laboratory, Department of Animal Science, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27650


The effects of porcine adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) upon concentrations of total corticosteroids, progesterone, testosterone, and luteinizing hormone (LH) in peripheral serum and upon LH-induced changes in testosterone were studied in 15 boars and 5 barrows. Boars were assigned to either ACTH-saline, ACTH-LH, or saline-LH treatments while all barrows received ACTH-LH. The relationship between physiological concentrations of corticosteroids and testosterone during a 12 h control period was determined prior to ACTH treatment. The relationship between endogenous production of testosterone during this 12 h period and the ability of boars to produce testosterone after ACTH was also determined.

Administration of ACTH increased (P<0.05) concentrations of corticosteroids and progesterone in both boars and barrows within 15 min. Concentrations of testosterone were also significantly increased in ACTH-treated boars when compared with saline controls. However, ACTH had no effect upon concentrations of testosterone in barrows. Additionally, ACTH had no effect upon concentrations of LH in either boars or barrows although LH was higher (P<0.05) in barrows throughout the experiment. Exogenous LH increased (P<0.05) testosterone in boars but the response did not differ between saline-LH and ACTH-LH boars.

The correlation between concentrations of corticosteroids and testosterone during the 12 h control period was significant over all boars (r = 0.12, P<0.05). In addition, a positive rank correlation (r = 0.58, P<0.08) was obtained between area beneath the testosterone profile curve during the 12 h control period and the 4 h period following ACTH.

The results indicate that secretion of testosterone by the testis is increased in boars following ACTH treatment and occurs simultaneously with an increased secretion of adrenal corticosteroids. The increased secretion of testosterone does not appear to be mediated by LH but may be affected by corticosteroids and/or progesterone secreted from the adrenal. Also, the positive rank correlation between the 12 h testosterone area and the 4 h testosterone area following ACTH indicated that testicular responsiveness of boars to ACTH is partially dependent upon their innate ability to produce testosterone. Furthermore, the positive correlation obtained between concentrations of corticosteroids and testosterone during the 12 h control period supports a physiological coupling of adrenal and testicular steroid secretions in boars.

Note:
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The authors are indebted to Dr. Harold Hats for testosterone antiserum (MSU #74); Dr. Leo Reichert, Jr., for purified porcine LH (LER-786-3); Dr. Gordon Niswender for porcine LH antiserum (#566); Dr. J. H. Britt for progesterone antiserum; and NIAMDD for bovine LH (NIH-LH-B9). The technical assistance of Dr. T. H. Welsh, Mr. M. A. Varner, and Ms. Z. A. Turner is gratefully acknowledged.

Submitted on February 24, 1981
Accepted on June 19, 1981






HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS
Copyright © 1981 by the Society for the Study of Reproduction.