CHANGES IN PLASMA-LH AND TESTOSTERONE LEVELS AND SEMEN QUALITY AFTER A SINGLE INJECTION OF HCG IN 2 DOGS WITH SPERMATOGENIC DYSFUNCTION

Plasma LH and testosterone (T) levels and semen quality after a single intramuscular injection of 1,000 IU hCG were investigated in a Beagle dog with azoospermia and a Beagle dog with poor semen quality. The pl asma LH levels of both dogs did not change after the treatment. Althou gh the plasma T levels of the dog with azoospermia increased temporari ly, no sperm were detected in its semen. In the dog with poor semen qu ality high levels of plasma T were maintained for 2 weeks after hCG tr eatment and its semen quality was temporarily improved between 3 and 4 weeks after treatment. These findings indicate that the semen quality of dogs with oligozoospermia can be temporarily improved after a sing le injection of hCG.