The effects on the remaining gland of unilateral and partial orchiectomy of bilaterally represented testis is of importance on account of its practical implications, and its thoretical endocrinological interst. It is also important as a preliminary studies for testicular transplantation.
In this experimental studies, rats were divided into 4 different groups such as, control,(0/2 orchiectomy group), unilateral (1/2 orchiectomy group), partial (1.5/2 orchiectomy group), and bilateral(2/2 orchiectomny group) groups. Four to eight months after the graded orchiectomy, they were sacrificed and body weight, weight of testis, seminal vesicles, prostate, adrenals were measured. For determinatios of spermatogentic activity and androgenetic activity, semen examination, copulation frequencies, pregnancy confirmation and histologic examination of the testes were performed. The results were compared with regard to enlargement of remaining testicular tissues, and minimal testicular tissues for impregnating level of spermatogenesis and androgenesis.
The following are summary of the results of the studies: In 1/2 orchiectomy group, the weight of the remaining testis increased by 8~15 per cent above the mean testis weight in entire control animals and by 28~30 per cent above the weight of the testis which had been removed at unilateral orchiectomy. This increase in the testis weight is attributable to an expansion of seminiferous tubules and to cellular hypertrophy of the cells of testis. The animals of the same group copulated and impregnated females as much as the control group did. However, in 1.5/2 orchiectomy groups, very few rats could have copulation but no pregnancies took place. In the 2/2 orchiectomy group, no animals had any copulations.
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