Ectopic testes: a heritable mutation in the King-Holtzman rat: androgen-binding protein in testes and epididymides

Assays of androgen-binding protein (ABP) were carried out on testes, and epididymal heads and tails. This strain of rat exhibits a heritable mutation physically manifested as unilateral or bilateral maldescended (ectopic) testes. When present, they are found immediately cranial to the external inguinal ring in the superficial connective tissue on the ventral body wall. Charcoal-extracted cytosols were preincubated with 16 nM tritiated 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone ( [3H] DHT) for 16-20 h at 4 degrees C and ABP was separated by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis under steady-state conditions in the presence of 2 nM [3H] DHT. The gels were transversely cut into 2.1-mm thick slices and serially counted in a liquid scintillation counter. Binding of [3H] DHT to ABP was assumed to be 1:1 and the sum dpm of the ABP-containing slices corrected for background was expressed as pmol DHT bound/mg protein. Compared to normal male siblings, cytosol ABP levels on the ectopic side in unilateral ectopic rats were 78% and 93% lower than normal in epididymal heads and tails, respectively; whereas similar values for either side in bilateral ectopic rats were 88% and 99%. The above differences indicated in the cytosol ABP levels were significant at P less than 0.0001. On the other hand, in no case were differences in ABP levels in normal and ectopic testes in bilateral ectopic, unilateral ectopic and normal male rats significant. Also, epididymal heads and tails on the descended side of unilateral ectopic rats demonstrated no significant difference when compared to corresponding tissues in normal male siblings.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)