This Article Full Text (PDF) Submit a related Letter to the Editor Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Request Copyright Permission Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by LEINONEN, P. Articles by HAMMON, G. L. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by LEINONEN, P. Articles by HAMMON, G. L.

Testosterone and Some of Its Precursors and Metabolites in the Human Epididymis^*

P. LEINONEN and G. L. HAMMON

Department of Clinical Chemistry, University of Oulu SF-90220 Oulu 22, Finland

The concentrations of testosterone, four of its precursors (pregnenolone, progesterone, 17±-hydroxyprogesterone, and androstenedione), and three of its metabolites (5adihydrotestosterone, 5-androstane-3±,17²-diol, and androsterone) were measured in the epididymis and proximal ductus deferens of elderly men with prostatic carcinoma. In addition, they were measured in testis tissue and spermatic and peripheral blood sera. The main androgen in the epididymis was testosterone [37.3 ± 22.0 (SD) ng/g wet tissue]; 5±-dihydrotestosterone was also present in a relatively high concentration [9.7 ± 6.5 (SD) ng/g wet tissue]. There were no steroid concentration gradients along the epididymis. The actual and relative concentrations of the steroids measured strongly suggest that they are transferred from testes to epididymides in the testicular lymph or rete testis fluid. Estrogen administration led to significant decreases in epididymal androstenedione, testosterone, and 5-dihydrotestosterone concentrations. Thus, one facet of the deleterious effects of estrogen on male reproductive functions may be interference with normal epididymal function, essential for undisturbed sperm maturation.

^* This work was supported by Grants 760-0625 and 790-0670 from the Ford Foundation.

To whom all correspondence and requests for reprints should be addressed.

Present address: Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology, and Reproductive Sciences, University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, California 94143.

Received February 25, 1980.

This article has been cited by other articles:

				Y. Han, H. L. Feng, J. I. Sandlow, and C. J. Haines Comparing Expression of Progesterone and Estrogen Receptors in Testicular Tissue From Men With Obstructive and Nonobstructive Azoospermia J Androl, March 1, 2009; 30(2): 127 - 133. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				C. Shah, D. Modi, G. Sachdeva, S. Gadkar, and C. Puri Coexistence of Intracellular and Membrane-Bound Progesterone Receptors in Human Testis J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., January 1, 2005; 90(1): 474 - 483. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				S. E. Hannema, I. S. Scott, J. Hodapp, H. Martin, N. Coleman, J. W. Schwabe, and I. A. Hughes Residual Activity of Mutant Androgen Receptors Explains Wolffian Duct Development in the Complete Androgen Insensitivity Syndrome J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., November 1, 2004; 89(11): 5815 - 5822. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]

				B. LINDENTHAL, A. L. HOLLERAN, T. A. ALDAGHLAS, B. RUAN, G. J. SCHROEPFER Jr, W. K. WILSON, and J. K. KELLEHER Progestins block cholesterol synthesis to produce meiosis-activating sterols FASEB J, March 1, 2001; 15(3): 775 - 784. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]