EFFECT OF SEVERE COLD (−5 °C) ON THE ENDOCRINE FUNCTION OF THE TESTIS IN THE ALBINO RAT

Abstract
Cryptorchism, caused surgically, and cold exposure have been studied separately and in combination: the morphological characteristics, organ weights, and histological appearance of the testes and of the main sexual accessories have been evaluated. Physiological information derived from morphological data reveals that the effect of cold is twofold: (a) somatic or non-endocrine and (b) purely endocrine; the two effects are superimposed and additive, but distinct. Thus, the gonadal response of the male rat to cold, within the time limit of the present investigation, assumes the appearance of a "physiological castration".