PITUITARY AND PLASMA GONADOTROPHIN LEVELS AND SPERMATOGENESIS IN THE GOLDFISH CARASSIUS AURATUS AFTER METHALLIBURE TREATMENT

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Abstract
SUMMARY The level of gonadotrophin measured by radioimmunoassay in fully mature male goldfish was about 15 ng carp gonadotrophic hormone (c-HG)/ml plasma and 30 μg c-HG/g pituitary (wet weight). After treatment for 35 days with methallibure (added to the water at the rate of 2 p.p.m./day), the level of gonadotrophin in the blood was very low and remained at the pretreatment level in the pituitary. This suggested that releasing factor might control either synthesis or discharge of gonadotrophin from the pituitary. These results have also shown that type B spermatogonia and meiosis were gonadotrophin dependent but that the development of spermatocytes into spermatids did not require high concentrations of gonadotrophin. Spermiation was suppressed when the concentration of c-HG dropped below 10 ng/ml plasma.