We have investigated developmental, transpubertal, changes in the responsiveness to stimulation of pituitary gland and testes from the male ob/ob mouse. These organs were removed from ob/ob mice at 33 and 90 days after birth and stimulated with GnRH and LH, respectively, in vitro. Pituitary glands from lean mice released significantly more LH than those from ob/ob mice at both ages. In contrast, FSH release was higher in young ob/ob mice but not significantly different at 90 days when compared with lean controls. LH-stimulated testes revealed that although the young ob/ob testes released significantly less testosterone (T) than lean controls, the response became normal after the time of expected puberty. The production of 5α-androstane-3α, 17β-diol (DIOL), although reduced at both ages in ob/ob mice, declined transpubertally in both lean and ob/ob mice. As a result, the ratio of T:DIOL which normally becomes : > > 1 with the advent of puberty, also increases to > 1 in the ob/ob males, suggesting that sexual maturation of testicular androgen biosynthesis is approximately normal. We conclude that the differences in pituitary and testicular response to stimulation could arise from a defect in the ability of the pituitary gland to release gonadotrophins.

Keywords:
Puberty, GnRH, Pituitary, Testis, ob/ob, LH, FSH, Androgens
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© 1981 S. Karger AG, Basel
1981
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