Endocrinology, Vol 137, 3738-3743, Copyright © 1996 by Endocrine Society

ARTICLES

Hypokalemia decreases testosterone production in male mice by altering luteinizing hormone secretion

A Sanchez-Capelo, MT Castells, A Cremades and R Penafiel
Department of Pharmacology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Murica, Spain.

Potassium deficiency produced by feeding mice a low potassium diet caused a marked decrease in plasma and testicular testosterone concentrations and a concomitant fall in the weight of seminal vesicles and in renal ornithine decarboxylase activity. All of these parameters were rapidly restored when potassium supply was normalized. Immunocytochemical analysis of gonadotropes and plasma LH values suggested that the pulsatile liberation of LH by the pituitary was impaired in the potassium-deficient male mice. Because the synthesis of testosterone in the potassium-deficient mice was stimulated by exogenous LH, hCG, or GnRH, one can conclude that alteration of the transcellular potassium gradient could affect the regulation of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-testicular axis by affecting the pulsatile release of GnRH. Our results showing that the stimulation of LH secretion after castration was similar in control and potassium- deficient male mice suggest that a testicular factor(s) different from testosterone could be implicated in the abnormal regulation of LH secretion in potassium-deficient mice. We conclude that plasma potassium concentration is an important factor in the regulation of gonadotropin secretion and testicular functions.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				F. Tejada, A. Cremades, M. Aviles, M. T. Castells, and R. Penafiel Hypokalemia alters sex hormone and gonadotropin levels: evidence that FSH may be required for luteinization Am J Physiol Endocrinol Metab, December 1, 1998; 275(6): E1037 - E1045. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]