The Effect of Spinal Cord Injury on Pituitary-Testicular Hormone Axis in Rats / 대한비뇨기과학회지

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE: To investigate the effect of spinal cord injury(SCI) on male reproductive function, we evaluated changes of pituitary-testicular hormonal level at various time intervals in spinal cord injured rats. MATERIALS AND METHODS: SCI was produced in 30 sexually mature Sprague-Dawley rats by T10 spinal cord transection. 20 controls received similar surgery without transection. Testosterone concentrations in the serum and testis, serum levels of follicle-stimulating hormone(FSH) and leutenizing hormone(LH) were measured with radioimmunoassay. Two way analysis of variance(ANOVA) was performed. RESULTS: Testosterone levels in the serum and testis were lower at 2 weeks after injury than in controls, but others were not. Serum levels of FSH and LH were similar in both group. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal cord injury in rats induced impairment of testosterone production in testis at 2 weeks.