Inhibition by gossypol of testosterone production by mouse Leydig cells in vitro.

Gossypol, a polyphenolic compound prepared from cotton seed, has potential uses as a male contraceptive. It inhibits spermatogenesis and sperm motility but has toxic side effects and furthermore may have effects on endocrine function though evidence for this is contradictory. In this study, gossypol had a dose-dependent inhibitory action on release of testosterone from dispersed mouse Leydig cells. Doses down to 20 microM and 10 microM significantly inhibited unstimulated and LH-stimulated release, respectively.