ENVIRONMENTAL-TEMPERATURE AND CRYPTORCHIDISM - EFFECTS ON PREGNENOLONE-SULFATASE OF MICE TESTICULAR TISSUE

This study examined the capacity of abdominal organs, such as the scro tal testis, exposed to environmental temperature to hydrolyze pregneno lone sulfate. The cryptorchid state of exposure to 34 degrees C during 14 days decreased testis weight by 38 and 23%. But the enzymatic acti vity (nanomoles of free steroid/testis) was significantly higher (p < .05) compared with the control. Moreover, a rise in the environmental temperature combined with cryptorchidism in mice, two conditions that induced testicular damage, has been related to the elaboration of fact ors capable of modifying, through paracrine mechanism, the androgen bi osynthesis. The presence of this factor could lead to an increase in t he hydrolysis of pregnenolone sulfate, but as for cryptorchidism or hi gh environmental temperature exposure, when cryptorchid mice were expo sed to temperatures of 34 degrees C an apparent synergism of both cond itions produced a decrease of 66% in testis weight. It would appear th at the steroid sulfatase is predominantly located in the interstitial epithelium. This study suggests that cryptorchidism and hyperthermia d amage the tubular epithelium by different mechanisms.