Hypophysectomy and Hemivasectomy Can Inhibit the Testicular Hemicastration Response of the Mature Rat

Three questions were asked in an attempt to understand how testosterone (T) concentration in the veins of the remaining testis can double within 24 h after hemicastration in the mature rat without a change in plasma luteinizing hormone (LH) levels. These three questions (and their answers) were: 1) Can the testicular hemicastration response occur in hypophysectomized rats? Answer, No. 2) Does LH binding to the testis increase after hemicastration? Answer, No. 3) Is there a neural route to the testis alternate to the superior spermatic plexi? Answer, Yes, apparently there is, since hemivasectomy contralateral to the excised testis partially suppressed the testicular hemicastration response (150.4 +/- 13.2 ng/ml in hemicastrated, sham- hemivasectomized rats [n = 18] vs. 109.4 +/- 11.6 ng/ml in hemicastrated, hemivasectomized rats [n = 18], P less than 0.026). It was concluded that LH was probably necessary to the testicular hemicastration response but that its presence did not provide a mechanism. The response was mediated at least partly through the inferior spermatic nerves associated with the vas deferens. A possible reason, although highly speculative, for failure to previously block the testicular hemicastration response by bilateral denervation of the superior spermatic plexi (Mock and Frankel , 1982) was that during the 12-wk interval between denervation and hemicastration, testicular innervation functionally transferred from the superior spermatic to the inferior spermatic nerves.