Testicular blood flow and a study of the testicular venous to arterial transfer of radioactive krypton and testosterone in the rhesus monkey

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Abstract
Testicular blood flow (ml .cntdot. 100 .cntdot. g-1; min-1; mean .+-. standard error of the mean [SEM]) measured in monkeys by 133Xe clearance was 15.9 .+-. 1.2 (26 estimations on 3 monkeys; 6 testes) within 15 min of anesthesia and 7.5 .+-. 0.8 (12 estimates; 4 monkeys, 8 testes), after 1-2 h of anesthesia; and, when measured by 85Kr clearance in the 2nd h of anesthesia was 9.1 .+-. 3.7 (7 estimates; 4 monkeys, 4 testes). Testicular temperature was 32.9 .+-. 0.2.degree. C (mean .+-. SEM) when deep body temperature was 37.2 .+-. 0.2.degree. C. Blood flow in the caput epididymidis was 27.4 .+-. 2.1 ml .cntdot. 100 g-1 .cntdot. min-1 (mean .+-. SEM; 4 estimates). Radioactivity accumulated in the ipsilateral testis and epididymis but not in the contralateral tissues, during the infusion of 85Kr saline into the testicular veins. During [3H]testosterone infusion into the testicular veins, radioactivity was consistently higher in the ipsilateral testicular arterial plasma than in plasma withdrawn simultaneously from the aorta in 4 of 5 experiments with no difference in 1. After 2 such infusions, the radioactivity was up to 5 times greater in the ipsilateral testis and epididymis than in the contralateral tissues. During 1 infusion of [125I]bovine serum albumin into the testicular veins there was no accumulation of radioactivity in the ipsilateral tissues. Testosterone concentrations (ng .cntdot. ml-1; mean .+-. SEM) in plasma from 7 anesthetized monkeys which were sexually experienced were: testicular vein 53.22 .+-. 8.03 (8 estimates); testicular artery, 4.58 .+-. 0.94 (14); saphenous vein, 3.81 .+-. 0.68 (14). The corresonding values from 4 sexually inexperienced monkeys were 25.27 .+-. 2.11(12); 2.89 .+-. 1.99 (12); aorta 2.76 .+-. 0.57 (12). The results are discussed as evidence for vascular exchange of molecules between the testicular veins and artery in the spermatic cord.