Effect of oestradiol valerate on the rat blood--testis and blood--epididymal barriers to [3H]inulin.
Micropuncture samples were taken from rats treated with 2.9 mg oestradiol valerate/day for 14 days, sham injected or untreated. Oestradiol valerate treatment reduced testicular weight and serum testosterone concentrations (P less than 0.05), but did not alter the movement of [3H]inulin into seminiferous tubules or those of the cauda epididymidis. [3H]Inulin concentrations in the seminiferous tubule fluids were always less than 8% of blood isotope concentrations, and those in cauda epididymal tubuule fluid were always less than 5% of blood isotope concentrations. It was concluded that the maintenance of the anatomical component of the blood--testis and blood--epididymal barriers (cell--cell tight junctions) is not androgen-dependent.
D000818:Animals; D001814:Blood-Testis Barrier / Q000187:drug effects*; D004822:Epididymis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000494:pharmacology; D007444:Inulin / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D012671:Seminiferous Tubules / Q000378:metabolism; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007444:Inulin