Hormone Production in the Undescended Testis

Abstract

The level of production of the “male hormone'in cryptorchid as compared with scrotal testes is of interest on two counts. Failure of the testis to descend is a fairly common defect in development, and an altered hormone-producing capacity of the retained testis may have a bearing on the origin and perhaps even on means of correcting the defect. Moreover, the inhibited differentiation of the seminiferous tubules in the cryptorchid testis, accompanied by evident increase of the interstitial elements, renders it interesting in relation to the question of the site of production of the testis hormone.

Apparently there have been few studies concerned with hormone production in the undescended testis. Early workers merely noted that the secondary sex characters are essentially normal in cryptorchid animals (Bouin and Ancel 1 ). The first quantitative study seems to be that of Moore and Gallagher 2 who found, in testing the cryptorchidized guinea pig by the electric ejaculation method, that hormone production was as great as normal. Jeffries, 3 utilizing the cytological signs in seminal vesicle and prostate, observed no castration changes in rats 60 days after cryptorchidizing, from which it was thought that there was no diminution in hormone production. Nelson, 4 using the same tests, found in rats 240 days or longer after being cryptorchidized normal prostates, but seminal vesicles showing castration changes, an observation indicating reduced hormone production in the operated animals. It is to be noted that these authors used as criteria of hormone production not quantity of hormone itself but hormonally regulated characters in their cryptorchid animals.

The present report is based on a study of 2 lots of mixed cryptorchid and normal testes of swine obtained in New York City through the assistance of Dr. C. A. Slanetz.