Effect of cryptorchidism on testicular and Leydig cell androgen production in the mouse

Unilateral cryptorchidism was induced surgically in adult mice and the effects on testicular and Leydig cell steroidogenesis were studied after 7 weeks. There was a 60% reduction in weight of the cryptorchid testis and this was associated with a significant reduction in intratesticular androgen content, both under basal conditions and following an injection of hCG. Testicular androgen production in vitro was also significantly lower in the cryptorchid testis compared to the scrotal testis, again under both basal conditions (29 +/- 6% of control) and in the presence of hCG (46 +/- 9% of control). Scrotal testes from the unilaterally cryptorchid animals did not show any significant difference in steroidogenic capacity compared to testes from untreated control animals. The decrease in steroidogenic capacity of the cryptorchid testis was due, at least in part, to a reduction in activity for each Leydig cell. In four experiments, androgen production by Leydig cells isolated from cryptorchid testes was 48 +/- 9% of cells from scrotal testes in the presence of a saturating dose of hCG. Under basal conditions the effect was more variable between experiments with steroid secretion by Leydig cells from cryptorchid testes being 58 +/- 32% of that for cells from scrotal testes. Leydig cell steroidogenesis in the scrotal testes of unilaterally cryptorchid animals did not differ significantly from untreated controls. These results show that induced cryptorchidism in the mouse causes a significant reduction in Leydig cell activity. This is apparently different from the effects of this procedure on the rat and raises the possibility that intratesticular regulation differs between the two species.