Comparative Ability of Seminiferous Tubules and Interstitial Tissue of Rat Testes To Synthesize Androgens from Progesterone-4-14Cin Vitro

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Abstract
A method is described for separating the seminiferous tubules from the interstitial tissue of rat testes. After the separation procedure the isolated tubules are virtually free of interstitial cells, and the interstitial tissue remains as a coherent web. Tubules and interstitial tissue from 1½ testes were isolated and incubated separately with progesterone-4-14C, and the resulting androgens were analyzed. Both the interstitial tissue and the seminiferous tubules were capable of transforming progesterone to 17-hydroxyprogesterone, Δ4-androstene-3,17-dione and testosterone, although the interstitial tissue was considerably more active than the tubules. These results confirm previous evidence that the interstitial tissue is the principal source of testicular androgens, but show that the seminiferous tubules are also capable of significant androgen biosynthesis in vitro. (Endocrinology76: 646, 1965)