Maturation and Survival of Spermatozoa in the Epididymis of Pregnenolone Treated Hypophyseetomized Rats

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Abstract
Adult hypophysectomized male rats were injected daily with 2 mg pregnenolone for 30 days. In these rats the testosterone concentrations in peripheral blood (0.5 ng/ml) and testes (46 ng/g) were appreciably lower than in intact rats (4.1 ng/ml and 167 ng/g, respectively). In hypophysectomized animals treated with pregnenolone the testes and epididymides were much better maintained than the prostates and seminal vesicles. High concentrations of dihydrotestosterone were present in the head (12 ng/g) and body (8 ng/g) of the epididymis of these rats. Although the number of spermatozoa in the distal part of the epididymis of pregnenolone-treated hypophysectomized rats was only 23% of the number in intact control animals, the spermatozoa were fertile.

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