男性不妊睾丸のΔ5-3β-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase活性にかんする研究

Abstract

For the purpose of endocrinological investigation of male infertility, ⊿5-3β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (3β-HSD) of Leydig cells was histochemically studied on the infertile testes. 1) All the control testes (13 testes) showed positive 3β-HSD activity, 11 of them being strongly positive. 2) In infertility patients, 10 of 92 cases showed negative 3β-HSD activity. They consisted of germ cell aplasia 3, spermatogenic arrest 2 and hypospermatogenesis 5. 3) In germ cell aplasia, 60.6% showed III+ activity. 4) In oligozoospermia, only one of 39 cases showed III+ activity. In azoospermia, 47.2% showed III+ activity. 5) There was no correlation between size of the testis and activity of this enzyme. 6) Activity of this enzyme correlated well with the quantity of Leydig cells but did not always reflect their morphological findings. 7) Urinary gonadotropin level correlated well with 3β-HSD activity. 8) All the Klinefelter syndrome (3 cases) showed, positive 3β-HSD activity, one being III+ positive. 9) Urinary 17-KS and 17-0HCS correlated with 3β-HSD activity. 10) In infertile testes, 3β-HSD was stained better when pregnenolone was used as substrate than when DHA was used, contrally to the normal testes. This suggests the impaired metabolism of DHA in the infertile testes. 11) It was concluded that 3β-HSD activity of the testes can be an index useful for choosing the treatment of infertile males.