Turkish Neurosurgery 2001 , Vol 11 , Num 3-4
SEXUAL FUNCTION AND FERTILITY IN HYPOPHYSECTOMIZED ADULT MALE RATS AFTER PITUITARY GRAFTING: PART I
Ahmet BEKAR1, Vahide SAVCI2, Tülin ALKAN3, Bülent GÖREN3, Ender KORFALI1, Şahsine TOLUNAY4
1Uludağ University, School of Medicine, Departments of Neurosurgery, Bursa
2Uludağ University, School of Medicine, Departments of Pharmacology, Bursa
3Uludağ University, School of Medicine, Departments of Physiology, Bursa
4Uludağ University, School of Medicine, Departments of Pathology, Bursa
Male rats underwent hypophysectomy and graft procedures, and a normal control group (C) was also established. In the hypophysectomy-plus-pituitary graft (HG) group, a suspension of neonatal rat pituitary cells (cortical cells in the hypophysectomy-plus-cortical graft [CG] group) was implanted into the third ventricle. Four weeks later, the surviving hypophysectomy only H (n=21), HG (n=21), and CG (n=21) rats were evaluated for copulation/ ejaculation/ fertility. Endocrine target organs were histologically examined, and serum levels of luteinising hormone (LH) and testosterone were compared among the four groups. LH response to endogenous (cold stress) and exogenous (gonadotropin-releasing hormone injection) stimuli was also assessed in the experimental groups. The HG group had higher LH than the H and CG groups (0.89 ± 0.2 pg/ml versus 0.58 ± 0.2 pg/ml and 0.47 ± 0.3 pg/ml, respectively; p<0.05), but lower LH than controls (p<0.05). The LH response to exogenous and endogenous stimuli was greater in the HG than in the H and CG rats (p<0.05). Only control rats had detectable testosterone. HG rats (52.4%) were more sexually active than H (5.3%) and CG (5.5%) animals (p<0.00l). Histologically, grade 3 thyroidal and testicular atrophy predominated in the H and CG groups 07 [89.5%] and 15 [83.3%] rats, respectively), whereas grade 2 atrophy predoıninated in the HG animals 07 [81 %j). Implantation of neonatal pituitary grafts into the third ventricle of hypophysectomized rats caused LH secretion to rise, but not enough to stimulate testosterone secretion. Keywords : Hypophysectomy, pituitary transplantation, sexual function, LH, testosterone, fertility
Corresponding author : Ender Korfalı, ekorfali@uludag.edu.tr