Effects of chronic intermittent immobilization stress on rat testicular androgenic function.
In rats, chronic intermittent immobilization stress induced a drastic fall in the plasma concentration and testicular content of testosterone (T) without detectable changes in plasma LH values. In vitro basal T production by interstitial cell-enriched preparations from stressed rats and the responses to hCG, dibutyryl cAMP, or choleratoxin were suppressed, while cAMP production was not modified. The increase in plasma T concentrations in control animals was identical after the in vivo injection of 5, 10, or 50 IU hCG, while stressed rats failed to respond to 5 IU, but showed a response similar to that of control animals with 10 and 50 IU. These results suggest that chronic intermittent immobilization stress decreases Leydig cell sensitivity to gonadotropins.
D000818:Animals; D003994:Bucladesine / Q000494:pharmacology; D002772:Cholera Toxin / Q000494:pharmacology; D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin / Q000494:pharmacology; D000242:Cyclic AMP / Q000378:metabolism; D007700:Kinetics; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012149:Restraint, Physical; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000378:metabolism*; D013737:Testis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000378:metabolism*
D006063:Chorionic Gonadotropin; D013739:Testosterone; D003994:Bucladesine; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D002772:Cholera Toxin; D000242:Cyclic AMP