Sexual Disturbances in Diabetes

Abstract

Histological, histochemical and biochemical investigations were performed on the adenohypophysis, thyroid, adrenal and gonad of diabetic patients and of experimental diabetic animals. The characteristic changes in the adenohypo-physis of diabetics were remarkable increase of alpha cells and distinct decrease of delta cells. In most of the cases, the follicles of the thyroid were large and their epithelial cells were low and flat. The characteristic feature of the adrenal cortex was hyperplasia of the zona fasciculata. The testicular canaliculi were atrophied with thickened basement membranes. Spermatogenesis ceased almost completely in many tubules. The basement membrane of the diabetic testis was stained stronger than the normal with PAS. Spermatogenic cells were stained with Alcian blue; especially the cells near the basement membrane had strong affinity to the dye. A remarkable metachromasia with toluidine blue in the diabetic testicular tissue was recognized at pH 1.5 or 3.0. A significant increase in the values of Qo2 and Qco2 of testicular tissues in diabetics was demonstrated. Almost all diabetics showed decreased urinary excretion of pituitary gonadotropin. The present investigation suggested that these changes were due to deficiency of TSH, ACTH and gonadotropin resulting from the degeneration of the adeno-hypophysis in diabetics. However, the sexual disturbances in diabetics might be due not only to deficient pituitary gonadotropin, but also to degenerative changes of the nerves innervating the gonads.