Endocrinological and physiological features after steroid treatment of male rats

Effect of flutamide on the physiological status of epididymis and epididymal sperms

Flutamide, a pure antiandrogen, increases the levels of plasma luteinizing hormone but antagonizes the biological expression of androgen on target organs. Flutamide was administered to rats to study the effect of altered availability of hormones on the functional status of epididymis. The weights of ventral prostate, seminal vesicles and epididymis showed antiandrogenic effects of flutamide. However, increased activity of kidney beta-glucuronidase reflected increased availability of testosterone. The concentrations of protein and DNA along with the activities of acid phosphatase and hyaluronidase decreased in flutamide-treated rats. The activities of acid phosphatase and hyaluronidase in epididymal sperms along with protein concentration increased in flutamide-treated rats. Alteration of epididymal function by treatments affecting lysosomal stability was indicated.

Lack of gonadal protection by medroxyprogesterone acetate-induced transient medical castration during chemotherapy for testicular cancer

The serum FSH levels were analysed in 24 testicular cancer patients 3 to 9 years after intensive chemotherapy. Sperm cell counts were performed in 12 patients. In all cases a temporary medical castration had been achieved during intensive chemotherapy by the use of medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) (500 mg daily per os). The hormone treatment was initiated on day 1 of the first chemotherapy cycle. Thirteen additional patients did not receive this hormone treatment but were treated by similar chemotherapy. The latter patients served as a control group. There was a tendency towards higher FSH levels in the MPA-treated patients than in the controls. Following treatment, serum testosterone was significantly lower in patients who had received MPA during their intensive chemotherapy than in the controls. There was no difference between the groups with regard to recovery of sperm cell production after chemotherapy. An MPA-induced medical castration during intensive chemotherapy in testicular cancer patients is ineffective in protecting the remaining testis against treatment-induced damage to spermatogenesis, at least if hormone treatment is started simultaneously with chemotherapy.

Involvement of lysosomal enzymes in flutamide-induced stimulation of rat testis

Flutamide, an antiandrogen, increases the levels of plasma luteinizing hormone (LH), stimulates steroidogenesis in the testis and antagonizes the biological expression of androgen on target organs. flutamide was administered to rats to study intracellular mechanism in the testis where steroidogenesis was stimulated in the presence of an antiandrogen. The weights of ventral prostate and seminal vesicles showed antiandrogenic effects of flutamide. However, the availability of testosterone was reflected by the increased activity of kidney beta glucuronidase. The weight of testis and the incorporation of 32P in its nucleic acid fraction at 45 minutes were increased. The concentrations of testicular DNA and ascorbic acid were decreased. Activity of the lysosomal enzymes, acid phosphatase and beta glucuronidase, increased in the free state. Thus flutamide provided a condition where changes in the lysosomal stability in association with the alteration of testicular function was demonstrated.