Stimulation in vivo of testicular 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity in immature rats by LH and hCG.

Testicular C19-steroid 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity rises during puberty in the rat. Hormonal mechanisms responsible for this rise are unknown. The present study is to the best of our knowledge the first to report successful stimulation of testicular 7 alpha-hydroxylase in immature rats. Administration of crude and purified hCG every day for 3 or more days to immature rats in doses of 3 I.U. lead to significant stimulation of testicular 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity. Purified preparations of subunits of hCG did not stimulate 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity. Stimulation of testicular 7 alpha-hydroxylase was, however, recorded when purified subunits of hCG were allowed to recombine and then administered to the animals. Several preparations of LH failed to cause stimulation of 7 alpha-hydroxylase when administered to immature rats. Treatment of immature rats with mixtures of LH and FSH, LH and prolactin or LH together with FSH and prolactin was also ineffective in this respect. Large doses of highly purified ovine-LH, rat LH and human LH were, however, able to stimulate testicular 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity in immature rats. Preparations comprising hybrids of ovine-LH and hCG (oLH alpha + hCG beta, hCG alpha + oLH beta) stimulated testicular 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity in immature rats. Administration of the same amounts of a hybrid preparation of human and ovine-LH (oLH alpha + hLH beta) to immature rats was ineffective in this respect. Administration of testosterone or estradiol to immature rats lead to suppression of testicular 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity. Combined treatment of such rats with hCG and testosterone or with estradiol and hCG augmented testicular 7 alpha-hydroxylase activity to the same degree as that of animals treated with hCG only.