This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by ABNEY, T. O. Articles by MAHESH, V. B. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by ABNEY, T. O. Articles by MAHESH, V. B.

Estradiol Binding Capacity in the Cryptorchid Rat Testis

Department of Endocrinology, Medical College of Georgia Augusta, Georgia 30901

Abstract

Mature male Sprague-Dawley rats were made surgically cryptorchid at 47–50 days of age. Animals were sacrificed as controls and at 7, 14, and 21 days post-surgery. The testes were removed and utilized to determine the effects of cryptorchidism on tissue weight loss, histological changes, and cytoplasmic estradiol binding capacity. Testis weight decreased from a mean ± SE of 1.1 ± 0.09 to 41 ± 0.02 g during the 21 day period, a 66% decrease in weight. Light microscopy revealed til at the process of spermatogenesis was inhibited, the germinal epithelium had degenerated, and the tubules had become smaller in diameter. The interstitial tissue volume progressively increased through day 21 post-surgery. The cytoplasmic estradiol binding capacity, expressed as fmoles [³H]-estradiol/mg cytosol protein, increased markedly from a control of 16 ± 1.1 to 36 ± 8.0 at day 7 after surgery; this represented a 126% increase in binding capacity in one week. Binding capacity was equivalent to 54 ± 7.4 and 58 ± 10.5 fmol/mg on days 14 and 21 post-surgery, respectively. Testicular content of cytoplasmic estrogen receptors was shown to increase from 349 to a maximum of 575 fmoles/testis at day 7. Receptor content then declined slowly to a value of 481 at day 21. Testicular content of receptor is presumed to reflect an alteration in the Leydig cells induced by cryptorchidism.

Footnotes

Supported in part by General Research Support Grant #5 SOI RR 05365-13 HEW, Public Health Service and Training Grant #HD 112-08.

Received August 2, 1976.