Effect of inhibin on rat testicular desoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) synthesis in vivo and in vitro

When injected in vivo 3 h before sacrifice or when incubated in vitro with testicular fragments for 3 h, tritiated thymidine, a reliable index of DNA synthesis and of mitotic activity, was incorporated into the DNA of differentiated spermatogonia, as shown by autohistoradiography. The maximum DNA specific activity was obtained in pubertal rats aged 42 days, weight 150 g. Two preparations of inhibin extracted from ram rete testis fluid (RTF) of different molecular weight (> 10 000 for RTF1 and < 5000 for RTF3) but which possess the same biological properties were investigated for their effect on thymidine uptake in vivo and in vitro. In vivo both preparations specifically inhibited tritiated thymidine incorporation into testicular DNA of pubertal animals (42 days). No change in thymidine uptake into hepatic DNA was observed. Tritiated thymidine incorporation into testicular DNA was lower in normal adult rats and in hypophysectomized pubertal animals. RTF1 and RTF3 did not affect thymidine incorporation in either case. The reasons for this lack of effect are discussed. In vitro, both preparations induced a dose-dependent decrease in DNA synthesis in testis fragments from rats aged 42 and 49 days. The preparations lost their in vivo and in vitro inhibitory effects when denatured by heating and trypsin digestion. The inhibin preparations probably reduced testicular DNA synthesis and spermatogonial multiplication by reducing FSH secretion in vivo but also had a direct effect on the germ cells as shown by the in vitro experiments. These in vivo and in vitro actions of inhibin preparations are similar to those of the testicular chalones. The relationship which might exist between inhibin and the chalones is discussed.