Studies on the Relationship Between Sperm Count and Steroid Levels in the Spermatic and Cubital Veins of Patients With Varicocele

Abstract

The levels of 10 unconjugated and 5 sulphurylated neutral steroids were assayed following chromatographic purification by radioimmunoassay procedures in the blood plasma obtained simultaneously from the left spermatic vein and cubital vein of 13 patients with varicocele. The levels of all unconjugated steroids as well as those of sulphurylated pregnenolone and sulphurylated testosterone were significantly higher in the spermatic vein than in the cubital vein. The ratios of the levels in spermatic to peripheral blood were highest in the case of testosterone (68.1), 17‐hydroxyprogesterone (61.2) and androstenedione (14.7) and lowest in the case of cortisol (1.3), suggesting that the former three steroids represent major secretory products of the human testis. The levels of pregnenolone, 17‐hydroxypregnenolone and dehydroepiandrosterone in spermatic vein were significantly correlated to those in the cubital vein. The peripheral plasma levels of 17‐hydroxypregnenolone, dehydroepiandrosterone, 17‐hydroxyprogesterone and testosterone in varicocele patients exhibiting severe oligospermia were significantly lower than those found in their normospermic counterparts. The levels of progesterone in the spermatic vein blood were also significantly lower in the oligospermic than in the normospermic group. The results indicate that in man, there is a significant relationship between the spermatogenic process and the profile of steroids secreted by the testes.