Studies on the effect of intratesticular administration of opioid peptides, naloxone or N-acetyl beta-endorphin antiserum on some testicular parameters in rats.

Opioid peptides have been localized in a variety of peripheral tissues like placenta, thyroid, pancreas, gastrointestinal tract, in the reproductive tract of male and female and in the testes of rats. Immunoassayable material was detected in extracts of gonads, reproductive tract and accessory reproductive organs. Studies with naloxone have suggested that beta-endorphin may have an important role in steroidogenesis and may have a role in regulating transport of luminal material. In our studies met-enkephalin, beta-endorphin, naloxone or N-acetyl beta-endorphin antiserum were microinjected intra testicularly once on alternate days for one week and autopsied 24 h after the last injection. Intratesticular administration of 25, 50 and 100 micrograms doses of naloxone induced significant decrease in in vitro secretion of testosterone per se, which was significantly greater with 50 micrograms dose than with those of the other two doses. A 25 micrograms dose had no effect on hyaluronidase or acid phosphatase activity while 50 micrograms dose significantly decreased the enzyme activity. One hundred micrograms dose also significantly decreased hyaluronidase activity. Intratesticular injection of 10 micrograms met-enkephalin or 1 microgram beta-endorphin significantly decreased hyaluronidase activity whereas 20 microliters N-acetyl beta-endorphin antiserum increased the specific activity of hyaluronidase. There was no change in the weight of the testes on treatment with the above agents.