Testicular Metabolism in Adrenalectomized and Corticosterone Treated Rats

Testicular metabolism was examined after adult rats were adrenalectom-ized and/or treated with corticosterone (0.7S, 1.5, and 3.0 mg/day) for 5 days. The weight and DNA and RNA concentrations of testes were not affected by either adrenalectomy or corticosterone replacement but corticosterone (3.0 mg) reduced (p<0.05) testis protein and prevented the loss of testis carbohydrate noted after adrenalectomy. Anaerobic glucose catabolism (cell-free preparations) increased 12% (p<0.05) after adrenalectomy and decreased 13% (p<0.05) after corticosterone (3.0 mg) therapy but neither of these treatments affected aerobic glucose catabolism. Corticosterone (3.0 mg) depressed (p<0.05) the oxidation of glucose-1-14C and glucose-6-14C to 14CO2; whereas adrenalectomy showed a tendency to increase the activity of 14CO2. Testosterone synthesis dropped (p<0.05) after corticosterone (3.0 mg) therapy but was not altered by adrenalectomy. The results suggest that adrenalectomy modifies testicular glucose ca-tabolism and that corticosterone may affect the testis by reducing glucose utilization and testosterone synthesis.