ENDOCRINE ACTIVITY OF THE TESTIS IN OBESE-HYPERGLYCAEMIC MICE

Abstract

The endocrine activity of the testis in relation to hyperglycemia and obesity was investigated by using hereditary obese-hyperglycemic mice (AO-mice). The AO-mice had smaller testes and hypoplastic seminal vesicles. The occurrence of atrophic interstitial Leydig cells was a conspicuous feature in these animals. However, a positive reaction for steroid 3[beta]-ol dehydrogenase was also obtained in these interstitial cells. The Leydig cells of the AO-mice represented an endocrine organ with a total volume of only half that in the normal litter mates (AN-mice). Although there was a slight decrease in the number of spermatozoa, all stages of a normal spermatogenesis were identified. The signs of reduced endocrine activity of the testis in the obese-hyperglycemic syndrome are discussed in the light of previous data on reproduction anomalies in diabetes and obesity.