The Effect of Metabolites of Testosterone on the Viability of Hamster Epididymal Spermatozoa

Abstract

SUMMARY The effects of testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, 3α- and 3β-androstanediol on the fertilizing capacity of mature epididymal spermatozoa and on the production of fructose by the seminal vesicles were compared in golden hamsters. When injected subcutaneously into castrated animals, 100 μg testosterone, 75 μg dihydrotestosterone but only 12·5 μg 3α-androstanediol per day were required to maintain the fertilizing capacity at the control level for 12 days; 3β-androstanediol failed to maintain the fertilizing capacity of epididymal spermatozoa for 12 days. Although testosterone and dihydrotestosterone were equipotent in stimulating production of fructose by the seminal vesicles, 3α- and 3β-androstanediol were much less effective. The discrepancy in the response of the cauda epididymidis and seminal vesicles to 3α-androstanediol suggests that the hormonal requirements for sperm survival in the cauda epididymidis differ from those for the production of fructose in seminal vesicles. The results suggest that circulating testosterone may be relatively inactive in the cauda epididymidis and that the maintenance of fertilizing capacity of epididymal spermatozoa might be correlated with the reduction of dihydrotestosterone to the more potent androgen 3α-androstanediol by mature spermatozoa.

Steroids in Fluids and Sperm Entering and Leaving the Bovine Epididymis, Epididymal Tissue, and Accessory Sex Gland Secretions1

“…The fertilizing capacity of sperm isolated in the cauda epididymidis of the castrated hamster is maintained under stimulation of progesterone plus either dihydrotestosterone or 3a-androstanediol, but not testosterone (41). However, the studies by LubiczNawrocki (19,41) may not directly support our studies with bulls because hamster spermatozoa do not complete maturation until they are within the cauda epididymidis (42). Similar experiments with rabbits, in which maturation is completed within the corpus epididymidis (18), might demonstrate if progesterone has a role in maintaining the viability of mature sperm within the cauda epididymidis.…”

“…Dihydrotestosterone localized in the cell nucleus has been implicated in the control of protein synthesis by cultured epididymal tissue (16,17). Thus, steroids may control formation of epididymal secretions which in turn are essential for sperm maturation and maintenance of the fertilizing capacity of sperm within the cauda epididymidis (18,19). It = 3j3-hydroxy-5a-androstan-17-one; dihydrotestosterone = 17/3-hydroxy-5a-androstan-3-one; 3a-androstanediol = 3a,17/3-dihydroxy-5a-androstane; 3/3-androstanediol = 3/3,17/3-dihydroxy-5a-androstane; and 3a-etiocholanediol = 3a,17/3-dihydroxy-5/3-androstane.…”

Age-related changes in conversion of 5 -androstan-17 -ol-3-one to 5 -androstane-3 ,17 -diol and 5 -androstane-3 ,17 -diol by rat testicular cells in vitro

“…However, the nature of the age-related changes in the conversion of the immediate 5a-reduced metabolite of testosterone, 5a-androstan-17ß-ol-3-one (DHT) remains equivocal because in previous studies: (1) DHT was not used as the radioisotopic precursor and the availa¬ bility of DHT was dependent upon its formation by 5a-reductase activity (Ficher & Steinberger, 1971;Matsumoto & Yamada, 1973;Rivarola, Podestà & Chemes, 1972); (2) metabolism of the low concentrations of the exogenously added radioisotopic steroid may have been affected by the presence of endogenous steroids (Vinson & Whitehouse, 1969);and (3) with one exception (Matsumoto & Yamada, 1973), 5a-androstane-3a,17ß-diol (3a-diol) has not been distinguished from 5a-andostane-3ß,17ß-diol (3ß-diol) (Ficher & Steinberger, 1971;Coffey, French & Nayfeh, 1971;Rivarola et al, 1972;Podestà & Rivarola, 1974) although the two epimers have very different biological properties (Lubicz-Nawrocki, 1973;WiUiams-Ashman, 1975) and are probably produced by two separate enzymes (Inano, Hori & Tamaoki, 1966;Wilson, 1975).…”

The influence of the testis on the fertilizing life of spermatozoa in the ligated vas deferens of the golden hamster

“…The present study suggests that circulating testosterone is much less important for sperm survival in the hamster vas deferens than in the cauda epididymidis (LubiczNawrocki & Glover, 1973) where testosterone is almost equipotent with 5a-dihydrotestosterone for the maintenance of fertilizing capacity (Lubicz-Nawrocki, 1973). It is not clear why only 5a-dihydrotestosterone prolonged the fertilizing life of vasal spermatozoa in castrated hamsters; one possibility might be a poor ability to convert testosterone to 5a-dihydrotestosterone as shown in the rat (Rajalakshmi & Prasad, 1976).…”

“…Although circulating testicular androgens are essential for the maintenance of fertilizing capacity of spermatozoa in the cauda epididymidis (Lubicz-Nawrocki & Glover, 1970, 1973Dyson & Orgebin-Crist, 1973;Orgebin-Crist et al, 1975), it is not known whether the survival of vasal spermatozoa is influenced mainly by circulating androgen or by 5a-dihydrotestosterone which is present in high concentrations in the lumen of the cauda epididymidis (Ganjam & Amann, 1973;Back, 1975) and also perhaps in the luminal fluid of the vas deferens. Evidence supporting androgen transport through the duct was presented by Skinner & Rowson ( 1968) who postulated that growth of the ampulla was stimulated by luminal passage of androgens through the vas deferens.…”