Effects of luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, prostaglandin e 1 and other hormones on adenosine-3′:5′-cyclic monophosphate and testosterone production in rat testis tissues

Abstract

The site and specificity of LH action on cAMP and testosterone production in rat testis have been investigated. In tissue from hypophysectomized rats LH added in vitro specifically stimulated cAMP production in interstitial tissue, whereas FSH added in vitro specifically stimulated cAMP production in seminiferous tubules. No synergistic effect of FSH and LH was found in either tissue. LH markedly stimulated testosterone production in the interstitial tissue whereas only a very small increase was obtained in the seminiferous tubules using tissue from hypophysectomized rats. These results suggest that seminiferous tubules do not significantly contribute to testis testosterone biosynthesis. No stimulatory effect of testosterone production attributable to FSH could be demonstrated in either tissue or in whole testis tissue when this hormone was added alone or with LH in vitro. LH-stimulated testosterone production in total testis tissue from intact rats, when expressed in terms of mg of interstitial tissue present, was two times higher compared with interstitial tissue obtained by dissection. Addition of seminiferous tubules to the interstitial tissue did not increase the testosterone production. In contrast cAMP production per mg interstitial tissue present was the same in all three preparations. Prostaglandin E 1 caused a small but significant increase in cAMP production in interstitial tissue but had no effect on testosterone biosynthesis. None of the other hormones tested (oestradiol-17β, ACTH, GH, prolactin, testosterone) had any effect on cAMP or testosterone production by rat testes preparations in vitro.