Effect of Local Irradiation on Testicular Androgen Biosynthesis

Abstract

Testicular irradiation sufficient to destroy the germinal cells in rats left the interstitial cells morphologically intact and able to respond to gonadotropin (HCG) administration by hypertrophy and hyperplasia. However, in vitro, androgen biosynthesis was suppressed in the irradiated testes. The finding that androgen production may be diminished in hypertrophic, hyperplastic interstitial cells indicates that in these cells structure and steroidogenic function are not necessarily correlated, a point that may have clinical significance in such conditions as cryptorchidism, germinal cell aplasia and Klinefelter’s syndrome. (Endocrinology75: 56, 1964)