Effect of beta-endorphin and @entity1510 on XXXX testicular steroidogenesis.

@entity35 @entity251 @entity1510 @entity1465
With a view to examine the possibility of a direct role of opioids in the regulation of testicular steroidogenesis, the following in vivo and in vitro experiments were conducted in male @entity35 of different age groups. Intratesticular (i.t.) injections of beta-endorphin (beta-EP) and its antagonist @entity1510 (nal) were given bilaterally to adult (80-100 days), peripubertal (40 days) and juvenile (20 days) @entity35 and blood was collected at different time intervals up to 90 min and assayed for @entity251 (T). beta-EP suppressed T levels in all age groups of @entity35 while @entity1510 stimulated T secretion only in adult @entity35 . In another experiment, adult @entity35 were also injected with 60 IU of @entity1465 (sc) after 30 min. of beta-EP/nal treatment. @entity1510 induced a greater rise in T in the presence of @entity1465 while beta-EP blocked the @entity1465 induced rise in @entity251 . In the in vitro sets of experiments, isolated interstitial cells from testes of adult, 40 and 20 days old @entity35 were incubated for 4 hr with @entity1465 (25 IU), beta-EP (0.5ng) and nal (5.0ng) alone or in combinations. @entity1510 alone was ineffective although it significantly enhanced @entity1465 stimulated T release. beta-EP decreased both basal and @entity1465 stimulated T release. Based on these results we postulate that opioids may influence steroidogenesis possibly by altering the response of interstitial cells to LH.
