Testosterone Levels in the Serum and Testes of Growing Rats Following Prenatal Exposure to Busulphan

In 1963, Hemsworth & Jackson reported that rats given an injection of busulphan (Myleran; 1,4-dimethane-sulphonoxybutane) during Days 11 to 14 of gestation produced sterile male offspring. Exposure to busulphan during Days 13 to 15 of development selectively destroyed developing germ cells in the embryonic testis (Hemsworth & Jackson, 1963; Gaulier & Roux, 1970). Earlier exposure also resulted in teratogenic changes in the fetus (Gaulier & Roux, 1970). Since busulphan treatment during the period described above results in testes without spermatogonia, but with apparently normal Sertoli and Leydig cells, animals with this `Sertoli cell only' condition may be of use in studying the rôle of spermatogenic elements in producing or metabolizing androgens or `inhibin' (Debeljuk, Arimura & Schally, 1973; Gomes, Hall, Jain & Boots, 1973). This study was undertaken to determine the testosterone