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A role for nocturnal serum testosterone surge in regulating spermatogenesis in the adult non-human primate

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Abstract

Adult male bonnet monkeys exhibit nychthermeral rhythms in testosterone (T) secretion but the precise role of this heightened level of T secretion in regulating spermatogenesis is not known. Intranasal administration of microdoses (500 μg or 250 μg/day) of Norethisterone (IN-NET) to adult monkeys (n=6) at 1600 h each day selectively and completely suppressed the nocturnal surge levels of serum. T. Concomitant with this was a significant reduction (P<0.01) in serum LH but not FSH levels. DNA flow cytometric analysis of testicular biopsy tissue showed by week 10 of IN-NET treatment an arrest in meiotic transformation of primary spermatocytes (4C) to round/elongate (1C/HC) spermatids and by week 20 there was a complete absence of 4C, 1C and HC cells (with a relative accumulation in 2C cells). The accumulated meiotic (4C) cells at week 10 showed an increase (>80%,P<0.01) in coefficient of variation and a decrease in intensity of DNA-bound ethidium bromide fluorescence, parameters characteristic of degenerating ‘apoptotic’ subpopulation of germ cells. While two monkeys exhibited acute oligozoospermia 4 became azoospermic by 20 weeks of IN-NET treatment. A complete, qualitative reversal in the regressive changes in spermatogenesis and near-normal sperm output were apparent at the end of a 20-week recovery phase. These data demonstrate that prolonged, selective suppression of nocturnal surge levels of serum T secretion exerts a primary effect on meiosis in spermatogenesis leading to oligo/azoospermic status in adult bonnet monkeys.

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  1. R. Suresh

    Present address: Department of Cell Biology/Physiology, University of Pittsburg, School of Medicine, W1457 Biomedical Science Tower, 15261, Pittsburgh, Pa, USA

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  1. Primate Research Laboratory, Center for Reproductive Biology and Molecular Endocrinology, Indian Institute of Science, 560 012, Bangalore, India

    R. Suresh & N. R. Moudgal

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Suresh, R., Moudgal, N.R. A role for nocturnal serum testosterone surge in regulating spermatogenesis in the adult non-human primate. Endocr 3, 487–492 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02738822

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