Morphology and Function of Testis in Growth Deprived Mature and Immature Male Rats.
- Author:
Hak Ryong CHOI
1
;
Soo Hyung LEE
;
Moo Sang LEE
;
Jin Moo LEE
Author Information
1. Department of Urology, College of Medicine, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea.
- Publication Type:Original Article
- Keywords:
GF;
IGF-I;
Somatostatin;
Spermatogenesis;
Leydig cell
- MeSH:
Adult;
Animals;
Humans;
Insulin;
Insulin-Like Growth Factor I;
Leydig Cells;
Male*;
Mice;
Rats*;
Rats, Sprague-Dawley;
Somatostatin;
Spermatids;
Spermatocytes;
Spermatogenesis;
Testis*;
Testosterone
- From:Korean Journal of Urology
1994;35(4):357-364
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:Korean
-
Abstract:
Growth hormone(GH) plays a major role in growth and its effects are mainly mediated by insulin like growth factor-I ( IGF-I). However the role of GH in the regulation of testicular function especially in spermatogenesis is still under debate. Though there were several studies using GH-deficient mutant mice, results are conflicting. Furthermore they are not proper to find out any exact role of GH in normal adults. We have therefore used somatostatin analogue (Sandostatin) for 1 week to block the effect of GH and it's mediator IGF-I, in mature and immature Sprague-Dawley male rats. In immature rats the delayed maturation was recovered after ceasing somatostatin in several weeks and the testicular parameters became normal after maturation. Post-pubertal rats showed diminished spermatogenesis especially in the number of pachytene spermatocytes and round spermatids of stage VII. These results seems to be associated with decreased systemic IGF-I. But the Leydig cell function in other words, testosterone production, remained normal. Somatostatin administered Leydig cells showed strong positive reactions like normal control on IGF-I immunohistochemical stain. We concluded that GH mediated IGF-I plays a major role in spermatogenesis especially on pachytene spermatocytes of post-pubertal male rats and there are GH independent IGF-I actions in Leydig cells.
