|
To investigate the influence of hemicastration or complete castration on prolactin secretion, thirty young male rats were studied for 60 days after surgery, by blood samples taken once a week during the experimental period. for measurement of PRL and Testosterone. In hemicastration, rats were anesthetzed with ether and the left testis was removed. In sham castrated animals, scrotal incisious were made, the testis manipulated with forceps but not removed and the incisious were then closed. In the expected days, blood samples were drawn on 09 : 00-10 : 00 in the morning. Blood samples were analyzed for LH, FSH, PRL and testosterone by means of radioimmunoassays. Following were the results: 1. Plasma levels of PRL, LH and FSH were elevated on fifth day of complete castration and continued to rise throughout the course of the experiment. 2. Testosterone levels in the plasma of castrated rats were, in contrast to gonadotrophins and PRL, very low with little change in baseline levels during the course. 3. Plasma levels of FSH rose on 37th day after hemicastration and remained above control values through day 60. 4. In contrast to the FSH response, neither PRL nor LH levels were affected by hemicastration. 5. Plasma testosterone levels of hemicastrated rats were lower than that of controls and didn’t returned to control values during the period of experiments. 6. The result of this study support to the hypothesis that PRL response to castration is similar with LH in young male rats.
|