Abstract
The i.v. administration of human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) leads to a significant increase of plasma testosterone in normal men after 2 h (5.85-8.35 ng/ml). The rise of plasma testosterone occurs also in men with idiopathic oligozoospermia (5.81-6.84 ng/ml), but it is absent in men with sexual impotence (5.30 resp. 5.37 ng/ml). These data refer to men aged between 20 and 30 yr. The response to hCG may be of diagnostic help in sexual impotence and in oligozoospermia, especially in respect to a therapeutic approach.