Abstract
The purpose of this study is to gain understanding of the relationship between ejaculation and serum testosterone level in men. The serum testosterone concentrations of 28 volunteers were investigated daily during abstinence periods after ejaculation for two phases. The authors found that the fluctuations of testosterone levels from the 2nd to 5th day of abstinence were minimal. On the 7th day of abstinence, however, a clear peak of serum testosterone appeared, reaching 145.7% of the baseline (P<0.01). No regular fluctuation was observed following continuous abstinence after the peak. Ejaculation is the precondition and beginning of the special periodic serum testosterone level variations, which would not occur without ejaculation. The results showed that ejaculation-caused variations were characterized by a peak on the 7th day of abstinence; and that the effective time of anejaculation, is 7 days minimum. These data are the first to document the phenomenon of the periodic change in serum testosterone level; the correlation between ejaculation and periodic change in the serum testosterone level, and the pattern and characteristics of the periodic change.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
Change history
10 December 2021
This article has been retracted. Please see the Retraction Notice for more detail: https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.2003.r236
References
Blackwell, J. M. and Zaneveld, L. J., 1992. Effect of abstinence on sperm acrosin, hypoosmotic swelling, and other semen variables.Fertil Steril,58 (4): 798–802.
Catt, K. J., Harwood, J. P., Clayton, R. N., Davies, T. F., Chan, V., Katikineni, M., Nozu, K., and Dufou M. L., 1980. Regulation of peptide hormone receptors and gonadal teroidogenesis.Recent Prog. Horm. Res.,36: 557–622.
Faiman, C. and Winter, J. S. D., 1971. Diurnal cycles in plasma FSH, testosterone and cortisol in men.J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.,33: 186–192.
Finkelstein, J. S., Whitcomb, R. W., O'Dea, L. S. L., Longcope, C. D., Schoenfeld, D. A. and Crowley, J. R., 1991. Sex steroid control of gonadotropin secretion in the human male. I. Effects of testosterone administration in normal and gonadotropin-releasing hormone-deficient men.J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.,73: 609–620.
Heuche, V., Schwartz, D. and Price, W., 1981. Within-subject variability and the importance of abstinence period for sperm count, semen volume and pre-freeze and post-thaw motility.Andrologia,13(5): 479–485.
Jian, G. S., Wu, Y. J., Zhang, J. X., Ma, Q. L., Yang, L. F. and He, X. B., 1995. Measurements of external genitalia and serum androgenic hormones before and after sexual motivation in young men.CN J. Andrology,91: 28–30 (in Chinese with English abstract).
Jiang M., 1999. Physiological significations of seven days for men.Journal of Hangzhou Educational Institute,6: 69–71 (in Chinese).
Keenan, D. M. and Veldhuis, J. D., 1998. A biomathematical model of time-delayed feedback in the human male hypothalamic-pituitary-Leydig cell axis.Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol Metab., 275,1: 157–176.
Le L. D., Colleu, D., Boujard, D., Le, C. A., Lescoat, D. and Segalen, J., 1986. Effect of duration of abstinence on maturity of human spermatozoa nucleus.Arch. Androl.,17(1): 35–38.
Magnus, O., Tollefsrud, A. and Abyholm, T., 1991. Effects of varying the abstinence period in the same individuals on sperm quality.Arch. Androl.,26 (3): 199–203.
Marshall, G. R., Wickings, E. J. and Ludecke, D. K., 1983. Stimulation of spermatogenesis in stalk-sectioned rhesus monkeys by testosterone alone..J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.,57: 152–159.
Meriggiola, M. C., Noonan, E. A., Paulsen, C. A. and Bremner, W. J., 1996. Annual patterns of luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, testosterone and inhibin in normal men.Hum. Reprod.,11: 248–252.
Pellestor, F., Girardet, A. and Andreo, B., 1994. Effect of long abstinence periods on human sperm quality.Int J. Fertil Menopausal Stud.,39 (5): 278–282.
Pierroz, D. D., Aebi, A. C., Huhtaniemi, I. T. and Aubert, M. L., 1999. Many LH peaks are needed to physiologically stimulate testosterone secretion: modulation by fasting and NPY.Am. J. Physiol. Endocrinol. Metab.,4: 603–610.
Sauer, M. V., Zeffer, K. B., Buster, J. E., 1988. Effect of abstinence on sperm motility in normal men.Am. J. Obstet. Gynecol.,158 (1): 604–607.
Schwartz, D., Laplanche, A., Jouannet, P. and David, G., 1979. Within-subject variability of human semen in regard to sperm count, volume, total number of spermatozoa and length of abstinence.J. Reprod. Fertil.,57(2): 391–395.
Sharpe, 1994. Regulation of Spermatogenesis.In: R. M. Knobil, E., Neill, J. D. Ed., The Physiology of Reproduction (2nd edn). Raven Press, New York, p. 1363–1434.
Spira, A. and Ducot, B., 1985. Physiologic changes in semen examination.Ann Biol Clin (Paris),43 (1): 55–61.
Steinberger, E., Root, A. and Ficher M., 1973. The role of androgens in the initiation of spermatogenesis in man.J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.,37: 746–751.
Weinbauer, G. F., Gockeler, E. and Nieschlag, E., 1988. Testosterone prevents complete suppression of spermatogenesis in the gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist-treated nonhuman primate (Macaca fascicularis).J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab.,67: 284–290.
Winters, S. J., 1991. Diurnal rhythm of testosterone and luteinizing hormone in hypogonadal men.J. Androl.,12: 185–190.
World Health Organization, 1992. WHO Laboratory Manual for the Examination of Human Semen and Sperm-Cervical Mucus Interaction (Third Edition).
Xie, W. Y., Wang, Y. F. and Jiang, Y., 1991. Andrology. Shanghai Science & Technology Press, Shanghai, China, p. 210–212 (in Chinese).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Corresponding author
About this article
Cite this article
Jiang, M., Jiang, X., Zou, Q. et al. RETRACTED ARTICLE: A research on the relationship between ejaculation and serum testosterone level in men. J. Zhejiang Univ. Sci. A 4, 236–240 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.2003.0236
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1631/jzus.2003.0236