Effects of Estrogen Treatment on the Responses of cAMP and Sex Steroids to hCG by the Testes of Patients with Prostatic Cancer

The effects of diethylstilbestrol diphosphate (DESDP) on testicular steroidogenesis were investigated in patients undergoing orchiectomy for prostatic carcinoma.
In non-DESDP treated patients the concentration of cAMP in the spermatic venous blood was 17.8 ± 3.1 (SE) pmoles/ml, which increased to 343.3 ± 18.6 (SE) pmoles/ml 30 min after hCG (1,000 IU) injection into the testis. T increased gradually from the pretreated level of 26.5 ± 7.2 (SE) μg/dl at 50 min. A slight increase in DHT was observed after hCG injection. Ten days' injections of DESDP significantly reduced the responses of T and DHT to hCG and 20 days' injections decreased T and DHT responses as well as cAMP response to hCG.
These findings indicate that DESDP can directly suppress the hCG stimulated steroidogenesis and cAMP production in human testis in vivo. The inhibitory effects of DESDP on Leydig cell function are probably on T biosynthesis as well as on cAMP formation.