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Dissociated Responses of Plasma Testosterone and Estradiol to Human Chorionic Gonadotropin in Adult Men

Centre de Recherches Endocrinologiques Hôpital Cochin 27, rue du Faubourg St-Jacques 75014 Paris, France

Plasma testosterone (T), dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and estradiol (E₂) were determined by radioimmunoassay in 10 normal males receiving hCG im 5000 IU on days 1, 2 and 3. The mean increase of plasma steroid on days 2, 3 and 4, respectively, was: 1.42, 1.79 and 1.87 times for T; 1.17, 1.56 and 1.49 times for DHT; 4.04, 3.29 and 2.33 times for E₂. While T was still significantly increasing from day 2 to day 4, E₂ significantly decreased. A positive correlation (P < 0.01) was found between the basal T and the E₂ peak after hCG, suggesting a release of E₂ from a storage compartment in the testis. No significant change of either steroid was detected 7 h after the first hCG injection.

In 6 cases of primary male hypogonadism, the mean basal values of T and E₂ were not significantly decreased, but the mean response of both steroids to hCG was defective, despite considerable individual variations. In 14 males with gonadotropin deficiency, basal values of T and E₂ were very low; the T response to hCG ranged from undetectable to dramatic, and was correlated with the degree and duration of previous exposure to gonadotropin; the impaired response of E₂ in all cases provides a better estimate of the actual gonadotropin deficiency.

This work was supported by a fellowship of theFonds d'Etudes du Corps Medical Hospitalier.

Received October 18, 1974.

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