Prolactin and Testicular Lipids

The effects of prolactin and prolactin plus progesterone (P-P) on the testes of adult rats were investigated. The weight of testes, seminal vesicle and the lipid composition of testes were studied 24 h after the administration of hormones. Prolactin treatment increased the weight of seminal vesicles but did not affect testicular weight, whereas P-P treatment had markedly reduced the weights of testes and seminal vesicles. Progesterone did not have any effect on the weight of testes and seminal vesicles. Both treatments had significantly reduced the total testicular lipids, which was more pronounced in the P-P treated group (28, 50 %, respectively). The esterified cholesterol was increased by the administration of prolactin and P-P with a concurrent fall in the free cholesterol. The total cholesterol was depleted only by prolactin treatment. Testicular phospholipids, particularly the phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine were markedly depleted by these hormones. This action of prolactin is more significant in the presence of progesterone. The depletion of phospholipids appears to be mainly due to enhanced flow of testicular tubular fluid carrying away phospholipids from testis rather than a shift in the biosynthetic pathway favouring glyceride formation. In our previous study, it has been shown that progesterone favours accumulation of esterified cholesterol by depleting the available free cholesterol. Prolactin on the other hand depletes phospholipids and total cholesterol, increases esterified cholesterol. Thus, prolactin appears to have a role in steroidogenesis as well as in the secretory processes of the testis.