Corticosteroids affect the testicular androgen production in male common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.).
Our previous experiments to study the effect of stress adaptation on pubertal development in carp showed that repeated temperature stress and prolonged feeding with cortisol-containing food pellets, which mimics the endocrine stress effects, retarded the first waves of spermatogenesis and decreased 11-ketotestosterone (11KT) plasma levels. The objective of the present study was to investigate whether the decrease in plasma 11KT is caused by a direct effect of cortisol on the steroid-producing capacity of the testis or by an indirect effect, such as a decrease in plasma LH. Pubertal and adolescent isogenic male common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) were fed with either cortisol-containing food pellets or control food pellets over a prolonged period. Our results indicate that cortisol has a direct inhibitory effect on the testicular androgen secretion independent of the LH secretion. Furthermore, the pubertal period is critical to the influence of cortisol regarding testicular androgen secretion, because the effect is no longer observed at adolescence.
Consten
Dimitri
D
Graduate School for Developmental Biology, Research Group for Comparative Endocrinology, Utrecht University, 3584 CH Utrecht, The Netherlands.
Lambert
Jan G D
JG
Komen
Hans
H
Goos
Henk J Th
HJ
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000728:Androgens / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000818:Animals; D002347:Carps / Q000378:metabolism*; D003907:Dexamethasone / Q000494:pharmacology; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000494:pharmacology; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000097:blood / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism; D011863:Radioimmunoassay; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000502:physiology; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000031:analogs & derivatives* / Q000097:blood
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D000728:Androgens; D013739:Testosterone; D003907:Dexamethasone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; C003600:11-ketotestosterone; D006854:Hydrocortisone