| Budget Amount *help |
¥1,600,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,600,000)
Fiscal Year 1993: ¥700,000 (Direct Cost: ¥700,000)
Fiscal Year 1992: ¥900,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000)
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| Research Abstract |
In order to study endocrinological disorder in varicocele, we examined serum hormone levels, intratesticular temparatures, and testicular histologies in the rats with experimental left varicoceles. Testosterone production and its responsiveness to human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG) in isoleted Leydig cells were also determined in the model. The mean difference between intratesticular and inraperitoneal temparature and the levels of serum hormones(LH,FSH and testosterone) were similar in varicocele-induced and sham-operated rats at either 2 or 4 weeks after surgery. Histological examination using the Johnsen score count method showed defective spermatogenesis at 2 and 4 weeks. In Leydig cell incubation, testosterone levels in the media without hCG were similar in the left testes of varicocele-induced rats(LV), the right testes of varicocele-induced rats(RV), and the testes of sham-operated rats(S). Although the presence of various concentrations of hCG made no difference in testosterone production between LV, RV and S at 2 weeks, there were significant decreases in the production at 100 mIU/ml and 1,000 mIU/ml of hCG in LV and RV as compared with that of S at 4 weeks. The bindings of [^<125>I] hCG to Leydig cells from LV and RV were significantly lower than S at 4 weeks. Futhermore, testosterone production induced by dibutyryl c-AMP was similar between LV, RV and S.
These data indicate that experimental left varicocele in rats impairs the responsiveness of Leydig cells to hCG through a reduction in the number of hCG receptors, and this change does not seem to be caused by a rise in intratesticular temparature. Besides, it is suggested that defevtive spermatogenesis observed in this model is not subsequent to the endocrinopathy.
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