Gonadotrophin induced effects on human testicular morphology

Ten infertile men were treated with gonadotrophic hormones. The effects on serum hormone concentrations, sperm counts, in vitro conversion of progesterone in testicular biopsies and on testicular morphology, were studied. Gonadotrophin treatment increased serum testosterone concentrations and sperm counts in some patients. In the patients where the in vitro conversion of progesterone in testicular tissue was changed, the Leydig cells also increased in size. In some patients the thickness of the lamina propria decreased during therapy, and a thick lamina propria should not exclude a patient from gonadotrophin therapy. Gonadotrophin therapy may be beneficial in patients with understimulated progesterone conversion in vitro, even in cases without spermatogenesis, provided spermatogonia are present. No harmful effects of hCG/hMG treatment were observed.