Inhibition of Spermiogenesis, Prostate and Seminal Vesicle Development in Normal Animals With Anti-Gonadotrophic Hormone Serum

Abstract

The daily injection of anti-sheep ICSH serum (A/S) for 9 days into immature male rats (30 days initial age) not only resulted in a 79 % inhibition of testes weight gain as compared to the testes of controls injected with normal rabbit serum (NRS), but caused these organs to ascend into the inguinal canal. This was accompanied by a complete suppression of spermiogenesis in the A/S-injected animals, whereas the testes of all NRS-injected animals showed the presence of spermatozoa in some of the tubules.Administration of A/S to young adult male rats resulted in a 45% suppression of testicular weight, an 86% inhibition of prostate weight and a similar degree of involution of the seminal vesicles. Spermatozoa obtained from the vas deferens of the NRS-injected adult animals were highly active, while those taken from the A/S treated animals were completely immotile.

Neutralization of Activity of Circulating Gonadotrophic Hormones by Antiserum to Rat Pituitary

“…Recently it has been demonstrated that the injection of antiserum to purified ovine pituitary interstitial cell stimulating hormone (ICSH) into normal immature or young adult rats will result in a marked suppression of testis and accessory organ development, associated with a significant inhibition of spermiogenesis (Hayashida, 1962). In this study it was observed that the interstitial cells in the testes of the normal rats given antiserum were as deficient as those seen in hypophysectomized control animals ; yet there was no detectable effect of the antiserum on gain in body weight or on weights of adrenals or thymus.…”

Immunological neutralization of FSH as an approach to male fertility control

“…Immunization against LHRH will lead to decreased pituitary gonadotrophin secretion, resulting in testicular atrophy (Fraser 1975(Fraser , 1980. Immunization against LH also causes testicular atrophy (Dym & Madhwa Raj 1977;Faulkner et al 1975;Hayashida 1963;Talaat & Laurence 1971). However, immunization against LHRH or LH will result not only in an interference with spermatogenesis but also with the testosterone production which is required for the maintenance of male sex characteristics including accessory sex gland function, libido and potency.…”