Testicular dysfunction in experimental chronic renal insufficiency: a deficiency of nocturnal pineal N-acetyltransferase activity

• Published in: British journal of experimental pathology Vol. 70; no. 3; pp. 349 - 356
• Main Authors: HOLMES, E. W, HOJVAT, S. A, KAHN, S. E, BERMES, E. W
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: London Lewis 01.06.1989
• Subjects: Animals; Biological and medical sciences; Disease Models, Animal; Kidney Failure, Chronic - metabolism; Light; Luteinizing Hormone - analysis; Male; Medical sciences; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Nephropathies. Renovascular diseases. Renal failure; Pineal Gland - enzymology; Prolactin - analysis; Rats; Rats, Inbred Strains; Renal failure; Testicular Diseases - metabolism; Testosterone - analysis; Chronic; Urinary system disease; Animal; Renal failure
• ISSN: 0007-1021

Biochemical correlates of neuroendocrine/gonadal function and nocturnal levels of serotonin N-acetyltransferase (NAT) activity were determined in partially nephrectomized (PNx), male, Long Evans rats following a 5-week period of chronic renal insufficiency (CRI). PNx animals demonstrated two to four-fold elevations in urea nitrogen and three to four-fold reductions (P less than 0.02) in plasma total testosterone concentrations as compared to sham-operated controls. The pituitary LH contents of PNx rats were decreased to approximately 60% of the control value (P less than 0.05). There were no differences in plasma prolactin levels between the control and PNx groups either at mid-day or in the middle of the night. Nocturnal pineal NAT activity in PNx rats was markedly reduced to approximately 20% of the control value (P less than 0.001). Similar evidence of gonadal dysfunction (reduced plasma total testosterone and testes testosterone content) and a significant decrease in night-time levels of pineal NAT activity were also observed after 13 weeks of CRI in PNx rats of the Sprague-Dawley strain that were housed under a different photoperiod. These results suggest that pineal gland dysfunction is a feature of CRI in the PNx model. Such an abnormality might contribute to the pathogenesis of gonadal dysfunction in CRI.