Influence of Adrenal Steroids upon Testosterone Secretion by the Boar Testis1

Abstract

The effects of porcine adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) upon concentrations of total corticosteroids, progesterone, testosterone, and luteinizing hormone (LH) in peripheral serum and upon LH-induced changes in testosterone were studied in 15 boars and 5 barrows. Boars were assigned to either ACTH-saline, ACTH-LH, or saline-LH treatments while all barrows received ACTH-LH. The relationship between physiological concentrations of corticosteroids and testosterone during a 12 h control period was determined prior to ACTH treatment. The relationship between endogenous production of testosterone during this 12 h period and the ability of boars to produce testosterone after ACTH was also determined.