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The concentrations of esterified and free cholesterol in the testes, and the weights of the testes, seminal vesicles, kidneys and submandibular glands, were determined in mice of the C57BL/10J and DBA/2J inbred strains. Measurements were also made on reciprocal F₁ hybrids. Cholesterol concentration and the weights of the testes and seminal vesicles were also studied in C57BL/6J and AKR/J inbred mice and in mice from two random-bred stocks. Considerable strain differences were found both in the concentration of esterified cholesterol and in gonadal weight. Since all the animals were maintained under the same environmental conditions the differences must have been genetic in origin. The decrease in absolute testicular weight which occurred in the C57BL/10 mice after the age of 8 weeks was accompanied by an increase in the percentage of total cholesterol present as ester. Groups of C57BL/10 males were treated with luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), prolactin-secreting pituitary isografts, pregnant mare serum gonadotrophin (PMS), testosterone propionate or pregnenolone. The concentration of esterified cholesterol was slightly decreased by LH and increased by pituitary grafts, confirming earlier studies in other strains. Treatment with PMS caused a drastic depletion of the high levels of esterified cholesterol usually found in the testes of these mice, and also caused marked growth of the seminal vesicles. Testosterone increased the weight of seminal vesicles while pregnenolone had no effect. None of the treatments stimulated spermatogenesis. A marked sex difference in the weight of the kidneys was absent in the C57BL/10 strain but was present in the DBA/2 strain. The kidneys of C57BL/10 males were significantly smaller than those of DBA/2 males. These findings, together with other studies on C57BL/10 mice, suggest that males of this strain are relatively androgen deficient. This could be due to inadequate production of FSH and LH, perhaps accompanied by a deficiency in the conversion of pregnenolone to androgenic steroids. The effect of the C57BL/10 genotype on spermatogenesis either is not hormone mediated or else is irreversible after the age of 6 weeks.

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