Biomedical subjects
P V McLoughlin
Publications and source records attributed to P V McLoughlin.
The hormone response to a synthetic androgen (mesterolone) in oligospermia.
Forty subfertile men with oligospermia were treated with a synthetic androgen (Mesterolone). The effect of the drug was evaluated by measuring serum testosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and analysing the semen before and after treatment. The results demonstrated that in twenty-three patients treated for 6-9 months there was a significant decrease in serum testosterone (P less than 0.01); the means +/- SEM before and after treatment were 17.05 +/- 0.95 and 14.7 +/- 0.95 (nmol/l serum) respectively. There was a pronounced increase in serum LH (P less than 0.01), the values being 2.73 +/- 0.26 and 3.61 +/- 0.3 (u/l) respectively. However, no significant difference was found in serum FSH before and after treatment. The sperm concentration showed a variable response to treatment. In twenty-one patients there was either no change or worsening in the sperm concentration, whereas in nineteen patients an improvement was observed. The analysis of variance of sperm concentration and motility for the periods before and after treatment, for all the patients, showed no significant difference in the sperm concentration F1.145 = 2.82 (P=0.1).
Relationships between spermatogenesis and serum hormone levels in subfertile men.
The measurements of serum follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH) and testosterone were related to the sperm concentration and testicular biopsy in 137 subfertile men. The biopsies were classified into four histological groups: normal, focal tubular atrophy, maturation arrest and Sertoli-cell-only syndrome. A positive correlation was found between sperm concentration and the histological grade of spermatogenesis. FSH was directly related to the spermatogenesis and the values were significantly raised in maturation arrest and Sertoli-cell-only syndrome. This relationship was present, but to a much lesser extent, for LH. Serum testosterone levels remained unchanged and no relationship between testosterone and either sperm concentration or testicular biopsy was observed. These data indicate the value of FSH in the investigation of the subfertile male, but suggest that the routine measurement of testosterone is unnecessary.