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Sertoli cell secretory function after hypophysectomy

Nature volume 254, pages 145–146 (1975)Cite this article

Abstract

TESTICULAR androgen is the principal stimulus for spermatogenesis1. Androgens alone are capable of maintaining spermatogenesis in hypophysectomised rats when treatment is begun immediately following hypophysectomy2. Following posthypophysectomy regression of the seminiferous epithelium, however, neither luteinising hormone (LH) nor androgen given alone is capable of initiating spermatogenesis when the same dose and time schedule is used for the treatment. Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) has to be given together with LH or androgen to effectively restore spermatogenic activity1. This difference between maintenance (treatment started immediately after hypophysectomy) and initiation (treatment started after regression of the germinal epithelium) of spermatogenesis, has been known for more than 30 yr (ref. 3), but no data have been provided which could explain this phenomenon.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute of Pathology, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, 1, Norway

    SAMUEL C. WEDDINGTON & VIDAR HANSSON

  2. Pediatric Endocrinology Unit, Karolinska sjukhuset, Stockholm, Sweden

    E. MARTIN RITZEN & LARS HAGENAS

  3. Department of Pediatrics and Biochemistry, Laboratories for Reproductive Biology, School of Medicine, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, 27517

    FRANK S. FRENCH & SHIHADEH N. NAYFEH

Authors
  1. SAMUEL C. WEDDINGTON
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  2. VIDAR HANSSON
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  3. E. MARTIN RITZEN
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  4. LARS HAGENAS
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  5. FRANK S. FRENCH
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  6. SHIHADEH N. NAYFEH
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WEDDINGTON, S., HANSSON, V., RITZEN, E. et al. Sertoli cell secretory function after hypophysectomy. Nature 254, 145–146 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1038/254145a0

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