Abstract
In 8 male subjects with normal testicular function, blood was drawn from the left spermatic vein and from the right cubital vein before and during an infusion of 4,000 IU human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) (preceded by a bolus of 1,000 IU) or of 500 IU hCG plus human menopausal gonadotropin (hMG), respectively, within 30 min. Testosterone levels in the spermatic vein blood increased rapidly up to 518 or 215%, respectively. An increase of estradiol-17β and of 5α-dihydrotestosterone concentrations in spermatic vein blood was observed only in 1 and 2 subjects, respectively. It was shown that the human testicle releases also 5α-androstane-3α,17β-diol and testosterone-glucosiduronate. Both steroids did not respond to the short-term infusion of gonadotropins. The same holds true for all five steroids measured in peripheral vein blood.