Endocrine Abstracts

After they are released from the testis, spermatozoa pass into the epididymis where they mature. The epididymis is a single, highly coiled duct that develops from a portion of the embryonic Wolffian duct (WD) under the control of testosterone. We have used a model system in which the androgen receptor (AR) antagonist flutamide is administered to pregnant rats to investigate the cellular mechanisms responsible for androgen-dependent WD differentiation.Tim...

It has been hypothesised that the hypothalamo–pituitary gland complex is a prime target through which environmental chemicals may alter reproductive physiology. The aim of this study was to investigate whether exposure to an environmentally relevant mix of chemicals during in utero and post-natal development can alter pituitary function. Pituitary glands were collected from 110 day-old foetuses (8 control and 8 treated) and 18 month old, post-pubertal sheep (8 cont...

The two primary functions of the adult testis (sperm production and hormone production) need to be co-ordinated because sperm production is completely dependent on appropriate hormone (primarily testosterone) production. However, it is equally evident from animal studies that Leydig cell (LC) development and function are also affected by developmental and functional status of the seminiferous tubules. For example, development of the adult LC population is dependent on reduced ...

Smoking by women during pregnancy can result in a 30–48% reduction in sperm count and testis size in the exposed offspring in adulthood, probably because of a decrease in the number of Sertoli cells. Until recently Sertoli cell proliferation was thought to be androgen independent because fetal Sertoli cells do not express the androgen receptor, but new evidence suggests that androgens may play the lead role in regulating Sertoli cell proliferation in fetal (Tan et al.<...

Disorders of male reproductive health, including testicular cancer, cryptorchidism, hypospadias and low sperm counts, are common and may be increasing in incidence. These conditions manifest at different life stages (low sperm counts and testicular cancer in adulthood; cryptorchidism and hypospadias at birth) but are proposed to originate in fetal life. These disorders have therefore been hypothesized to comprise a ‘testicular dysgenesis syndrome’ (TDS), which result...