Effect of hypophysectomy and replacement therapy on fatty acid metabolism in the rat testis

Abstract

1. The influence of pituitary gonadotrophins and of testosterone on the conversion of linoleic acid into other polyunsaturated fatty acids by rat testicular tissue was studied. 2. In immature hypophysectomized rats, follicle-stimulating hormone caused a threefold increase in the incorporation of radioactivity from [1−¹⁴C]linoleic acid into testicular lipids; the distribution of ¹⁴C in the polyunsaturated fatty acids, however, was not significantly affected. 3. In mature hypophysectomized rats, the hormonal treatments had less pronounced effects on ¹⁴C incorporation into testicular lipids, but caused a significant increase in the percentage of ¹⁴C incorporated into polyunsaturated fatty acids of the ω–6 series, luteinizing hormone and testosterone having the more pronounced influences. 4. A time-course study of the appearance of radioactivity in the ejaculated spermatozoa of rabbits, after they had been given a tracer dose of [1−¹⁴C]linoleic acid, indicated that incorporation of radioactivity into spermatozoa occurred during all stages of spermatogenesis.