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- Title
Response of serum inhibin B and pro-aC levels to gonadotrophic stimulation in normal men before and after steroidal contraceptive treatment.
- Authors
Kati L. Matthiesson; David M. Robertson; Henry G. Burger; Robert I. McLachlan
- Abstract
BACKGROUND: Testicular regulation of inhibin B may be influenced by the germ cell complement. METHODS: We examined the effects of gonadotrophin stimulation on serum inhibin B and pro-aC in 25 normal men at (i) control (stimulation test 1), (ii) after spermatogenic suppression induced by testosterone plus progestin treatment (stimulation test 2), and (iii) during spermatogenic recovery induced by FSH and/or hCG treatment (stimulation test 3). For each test, subjects received a single injection of 1200 IU FSH or 5000 IU hCG or both. RESULTS: Inhibin B and pro-aC fell with spermatogenic suppression (75 and 51% of pre-treatment baseline respectively, P < 0.05). Inhibin B response to FSH (130144%) was similar in controls and after germ cell suppression. Pro-aC response after germ cell suppression compared with control was significantly increased (P < 0.05) with both FSH (210229% versus 140185%) and hCG (254261% versus 145%). All treatments partially restored spermatogenesis with no clear relationship apparent between inhibin B and sperm count. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that: (i) serum inhibin B and pro-aC are only partially gonadotrophin dependent, (ii) spermatogenic suppression does not modify inhibin B response to FSH but enhances pro-aC response to both FSH and hCG, and (iii) inhibin B is a poor marker of spermatogenesis in this model of gonadotrophic manipulation in normal men.
- Subjects
SPERMATOGENESIS; SERUM; OOGENESIS; CELLS
- Publication
Human Reproduction, 2003, Vol 18, Issue 4, p734
- ISSN
0268-1161
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1093/humrep/deg140