Hormonal treatment after cytotoxic therapy stimulates recovery of spermatogenesis

Previous studies have shown that treatment of rats with gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) analogues or steroids either before exposure to procarbazine or radiation or after irradiation enhances subsequent levels of spermatogenesis. We demonstrate here that giving a GnRH agonist after procarbazine injection also enhances spermatogenesis and fertility. We also demonstrate that GnRH agonist stimulated recovery of spermatogenesis and fertility not only when the hormone was administered immediately after irradiation, but also at 20 weeks after irradiation, after the decline in spermatogenesis had occurred. These results suggest that GnRH agonist treatment given to azoospermic men after cytotoxic therapy for cancer may stimulate the recovery of spermatogenesis and fertility.