THE EFFECT OF HYPOPHYSECTOMY, CRYPTORCHIDISM, ESTROGEN AND ANDROGEN UPON THE LEVEL OF HYALURONIDASE IN THE RAT TESTIS1

Abstract

The histological condition of testes in the various experimental states was described and an attempt was made to relate hyaluronidase production to specific cellular constituents of the testes. A method of extraction and assay of testicular hyaluronidase was described. Utilizing these procedures, testes of normal adult rats were found to contain 87.2 [plus or minus] 5.0 units/g. After hypophysectomy the enzyme content showed an initial decrease on the 10th day and reached a low value of 9.7 [plus or minus] 1.4 units/g on the 30th day. Enzyme content of experimentally cryptorchid testes diminished significantly by the 4th day after the operation and was substantially zero by the 10th day. Hyaluronidase levels of testes from rats treated with estradiol or diethylstilbestrol showed an initial decrease on the 15th day and reached or approached zero by the 30th day. Testosterone propionate did not alter the levels of enzyme in normal animals, but did maintain normal levels in hypophysectomized and hypophysectomized-estrogen-treated rats.