Effect of casein diet on gonadotropin releasing hormone antagonist induced changes in adrenal gonadal functions in male rats

Adult male rats received daily injections (sc) of gonadotropin releasing hormone antagoni st (0.2 mg/kg.day) for 2 1 days when they were sacri ficed on day 22, adrenal weight, adrenal ~-3~ (delta 5-3beta) hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (~-3~-HSD) activity and serum level of corticosterone were increased significantly while testicular 17~ (1 7beta) hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase ( 17~-HSD) activity and serum level of testosterone and spermatogenesis were decreased in the rats fed on 5% casein diet. GnRH antagoni st treated rats fed on 20% casein diet, resulted significant decrease in adrenal weight , serum corticosterone and adrenal ~-3~-HSD act ivity while testicular 17~-HSD acti vity serum ·testosterone levels and the weights of sex organs were increased with respect to anti GnRH treated rats fed on 5% casein diet. But the GnRH antagoni st treated rats fed on 20% casein diet showed decreased spermatogenesis quantitati vely and sperm count appeared similar to anti GnRH treated rats fed on 5% casein diet. These results indicate that high casein diet protects adrenocortical acti vity and stimul ates testosterone synthesis without effecting spermatogenic arrest in GnRH antagonist treated rats. It may be concluded that GnRH antagonist in presence of high milk protein diet may be considered to be a suitable antihormone in the development of an ideal male contracepti ve.