ENDOCRINOLOGICAL STUDIES ON CRYPTORCHIDISM

Part 2. Reference of Androgens Biosynthesis of Testes, Especially in Human Cryptorchidism

Abstract

In the first report the author stated that androgens biosynthesis of various testicular tissues could be compared each other by using 30mg testicular biopsy speciemen.
This article is based on the result of androgens biosynthesis on human cryptorchidism.
Summaries are as follows:
1. The ability of undescended testes to convert progesterone-7α-⁸H to 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, ⁴Δ-androstenedione and testosterone was compared with that of contralateral intrascrotal testes.
It was noted that the testosterone conversion rate of cryptorchid testes in under 4, 5-10, 11-13 and adult age group were 0.66±0.48% (N=4), 1.15±1.20% (N=8), 6.44±3.18% (N=3) and 7.9±2.2% (N=3), respectively. On the other hand, the conversion rate of the contralateral intrascrotal testes in the above mentioned age groups were 0.43±0.02% (N=2), 5.05±3.73% (N=5), 17.00±0.00% (N=1) and 19.30±0.00% (N=1), respectively.
It was clearly demonstrated that the great difference of conversion rate began at the age of 5.
2. During the prepubertal ages, it was strongly suggested that the normal subjects was higher than that of contralateral intrascrotal testes of cryptorchid patients.
3. From the results mentioned above it was proved that testicular interstitial function at prepubertal stage was not silent, but actually active.
4. Nowadays, it is generally supported that spermatogenesis depends upon androgen concentration in testicular tissue and FSH does not play a main role in spermatogenesis.
It was suggested that the decrease of testosterone formation in testicular tissue could be a main cause of infertility of the patients with undescended testes.