Influence of neonatal hemicastration on in-vitro secretion of inhibin, gonadotrophins and testicular steroids in male rats.

Pituitary secretion of FSH in male animals is regulated, at least partly, by a protein hormone, inhibin, which is produced by Sertoli cells in the testes. To establish at which age the role of testicular inhibin in the regulation of FSH secretion becomes apparent, groups of male rats were hemicastrated or sham-operated on day 1 of life and pituitary and testicular function were investigated in vitro at 21, 42 or 63 days of age. Testis weights were increased in hemicastrated rats at all ages studied. Peripheral concentrations of gonadotrophins generally showed a good correlation with the concentrations of FSH and LH measured in the medium of hemipituitary glands which were incubated in vitro at 37 degrees C in the absence or presence of LH-releasing hormone. Peripheral testosterone concentrations in hemicastrated animals were not significantly different from those in sham-operated rats at all ages studied. Steroid production by Leydig cells in vitro was not significantly influenced by hemicastration. The secretion of inhibin by Sertoli cells from 21-day-old hemicastrated rats was decreased while Sertoli cells from 42- and 63-day-old hemicastrated animals secreted slightly but not significantly more inhibin than Sertoli cells from sham-operated rats. It is concluded that although compensatory increases of testosterone and inhibin production at later ages make it difficult to draw conclusions about the relative importance of inhibin in the feedback regulation of FSH secretion at different ages, it is likely that inhibin plays a role in the feedback of FSH in immature, rather than in mature male rats.