INFLUENCE OF ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURES AND THYROID STATUS ON SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT IN MALE MOUSE

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Abstract
Expts. conducted with male mice to determine the influence of alterations in both the environmental temp. and the thyroid status on development of the testes and accessory sex glands,indicate that mild hyperthyroidism stimulates while hypothyroidism depresses sexual development of the male mouse at environmental temps. of both 24[degree] and 30[degree]C. There was a significant increase in the wts. of the testes and seminal vesicles of mice given 0.05% thyroprotein in the feed for a period of 4 weeks, at 24[degree]C, while higher doses caused a decrease in sex organ wts. Thyroprotein (0.005%) when fed to mice kept at 30[degree]C caused a significant increase in the wts. of these organs when compared with the control at 30[degree]C. High environmental temp. of 30[degree]C alone caused a decrease in the wts. of testes and seminal vesicles. The wts. of testes and seminal vesicles of controls and treated groups, when calculated per g. body wt., were highest in groups fed 0.05 and 0.005% thyroprotein at environmental temps. of 24[degree] and 30[degree]C, respectively. Admn. of thiouracil (0.1 and 0.2%) in the feed caused a decrease in the wts. of the testes and seminal vesicles which was more marked at the high environmental temp. The decrease in the wt. of the seminal vesicles was more marked than that in the testes. Histological studies of the testes and seminal vesicles showed that mild hyperthyroidism stimulated spermatogenic activity in the testes and caused epithelial [image] proliferation of the mucosa of the seminal vesicles, with numerous granules, when compared with the control or hypothyroid male mouse. Hypothyroidism produced by the admn. of thiouracil or by keeping the mice at 30[degree]C caused some atrophic and degenerative changes, with limited spermatogenesis. In thiouracil-treated mice some degree of desquamation and inactivity of the epithelial cells lining the mucosa of seminal vesicles was also observed.