Abstract
ONE experimental approach to male contraception has been the systemic administration of androgenic steroids, but treatment has failed sometimes to induce azoospermia1–4. To overcome this difficulty, androgen–progestin formulations have been tested, but they did not inhibit spermatogenesis completely in all treated men5–8. We thought that this variable response was probably due to the relatively weak anti-gonadotropic activity of both androgens and progestins and the difficulty of controlling precisely the dose of steroids administered. We reasoned that azoospermia might be achieved in every male if steroids were administered continuously and at relatively constant rates and if progestins were replaced by a more potent inhibitor of pituitary gonadotropin secretion. We describe here the results of a test of the efficacy of testosterone–oestradiol formulations administered to adult male rats by means of a subdermal sustained release device. Oestradiol was used because, like testosterone, it is a naturally occurring steroid secreted by the mammalian testis9–13 and because it is a potent inhibitor of pituitary gonadotropin secretion14–16.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Heller, G. C. et al. Fert. Steril. 1, 415–422 (1950).
Heller, C. G., Morse, H. C., Su, M. & Rowley, M. J. in The Human Testis, (ed. Rosenburg, E. & Paulsen, C. A.) 249–257 (Plenum, New York. 1970).
Mauss, J., Borsch, G., Richter, E. & Bormacher, K. Contraception 10, 281–289 (1974).
Paulsen, C. A. & Leonard, J. M. in Regulatory Mechanisms of Male Reproductive Physiology (eds Spilman, C. H., Lobl, T. J. & Kirton, K. T.) 197–211 (Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, 1976).
Coutinho, E. M. & Melo, J. Contraception 8, 207–212 (1973).
Frick, J. Contraception 8, 191–206(1973).
Frick, J. in Control of Male Fertility (ed. Seiarra. J., Markland, C. & Speidel. J. J.) 230–239 (Harper and Row. Hagerstown. Maryland. 1975).
Johnsson, E. D. B. & Nygren, K. G. Contraception 8, 219–226 (1973).
Baird, D. T., Galbraith, A., Fraser, I. S. & Newsam, J. E. J. Endoer. 57, 285–288 (1973).
DeJong, F. H., Hey, A. H. & van der Molen, H. J. J. Endocr. 57, 277–284 (1973).
Kelch, R. P., Jenner, M. R., Weinstein, R., Kapland, S. L. & Grumhach, M. M. J. clin. Invest. 51, 824–830 (1972).
Longcope, C., Widrich, W. & Sarvin, C. T. Steroids 20, 439–448 (1972).
Savard, K. & Goldzier, J. W. Endocrinology 66, 617–624 (1966).
Gay, V. L. & Dever, N. W. Endocrinology 39, 161–168 (1971).
Kinlin, H. E. & Reiter, E. O. J. clin. Endocr. Metab. 35, 836–839 (1972).
Walsh, P. C., Swerdloff, R. S. & Odell, W. D. Acta Endocr. 74, 449–460 (1973).
Ewing, L. L., Stratton, L. G. & Desjardins, C. J. Reprod. Fertil. 35, 245–253 (1973).
Stratton, L. G., Ewing, L. L. & Desjardins, C. J. Reprod. Fertil. 35, 235–244 (1973).
England, B. G., Niswender, G. D. & Midgley, A. R., Jr, J. clin. Endocr. Metab. 38, 42–50 (1974).
Schanbacher, B. D. & Ewing, L. L. Endocrinology 91, 787–792 (1975).
Niswender, G. D., Midgley, A. R., Jr, Monroe, S. E. & Reichert, L. E., Jr, Proc. Soc. exp. Biol. Med. 128, 807–811 (1968).
Amann, R. P. & Lambiase, J. T., Jr, J. Anim. Sci. 28, 369–374 (1969).
VanDemark, N. L. & Ewing, L. L. J. Reprod. Fert. 6, 1–8 (1963).
Ewing, L. L. & Eik-Nes, K. B. Can. J. Biochem. 44, 1327–1344 (1966).
Berndtson, W. E., Desjardins, C. & Ewing, L. L. J. Endocr. 62, 125–135 (1974).
Chowdhury, M., Tcholakian, R. & Steinberger, E. J. Endocr. 60, 375–376 (1974).
Desjardins, C., Ewing, L. L. & Irby, D. C. Endocrinology 93, 450–460 (1973).
Katangole, C. B., Naftolin, F. & Short, R. V. J. Endocr. 50, 457–466 (1971).
Dziuk, P. L. & Cook, B. Endocrinology 78, 208–211 (1966).
Kincl, F. A., Banauiano, G. & Angee, I. Steroid 11, 673–680 (1968).
Davidson, J. M., Damassa, D. A., Smith, E. R. & Chsung, C. in Regulatory Mechanisms of Male Reproductive Physiology (eds Spilman. C. H., Lobl, T. J. & Kirton, K. T.) 151–164 (Excerpta Medica, Amsterdam, 1976).
Briggs, M. & Briggs, M. Nature 252, 585–586 (1974).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
EWING, L., DESJARDINS, C., IRBY, D. et al. Synergistic interaction of testosterone and oestradiol inhibits permatogenesis in rats. Nature 269, 409–411 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1038/269409a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/269409a0
This article is cited by
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.