Some factors affecting testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, 5 alpha-androstan-3 alpha,17 beta-diol and 5 alpha-androstan-3 beta,17 beta-diol secretion by invitro perfused rabbit testes.

Intra-arterial infusion of testosterone-3H gave rise to tritiated dihydrotestosterone, 5 alpha-androstan-3 alpha,17 beta-diol and 5 alpha-androstan-3beta,17 beta-diol in spermatic venous effluent of the perfused rabbit testis-epididymis. Mass spectrometric measurements confirmed that these four androgens were present in spermatic venous effluent of the perfused rabbit testis-epididymis. Gas liquid chromatographic measurement showed that testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, 5 alpha-androstan-3 alpha,17 beta-diol and 5 alpha-androstan-3 beta,17 beta-diol were secreted in similar amounts by the in vitro perfused and in situ rabbit testis-epididymis results obtained by perfusing the testis minus the epididymis suggested that the bulk of these androgens originate from the catabolism of testosterone within the testis rather than the epididymis. Suprisingly, germinal epithelium destruction by heat failed to alter the testosterone, dihydrotestosterone and 5 alpha-androstan-3 alpha,17 beta-diol secretion by the in vitro perfused rabbit testis. In contrast, the secretion of 5 alpha-androstan-3 beta,17 beta-diol was significantly (P less than 0.05) reduced in the same cryptorchid compared to control testes.