TESTICULAR LIPIDS

Summary. Testes of thirty mature male rabbits were used to determine the effects of surgery and artificial cryptorchidism on weight and lipid changes in the testes 6 days after treatment. Twelve testes were analysed from each of five groups including: (1) unoperated controls, (2) sham-operated controls, (3) and (4) a unilaterally cryptorchid group which supplied both contralateral scrotal testes and abdominal testes, and (5) a bilaterally cryptorchid group. Scrotal testes of sham operated and of unilaterally cryptorchid rabbits did not differ significantly from controls in any respect. Unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism caused a decrease in testis wet and dry weight. Total lipid per testis varied in experimental groups, but total lipid per gram of dry weight was not significantly affected by treatment. Unilaterally cryptorchid testes had higher cholesterol concentrations than the contralateral scrotal testes and the control testes, but the bilaterally cryptorchid testes did not differ significantly from controls. Unilaterally and bilaterally cryptorchid testes increased in esterified cholesterol and lipid phosphorus concentrations. In general, bilateral operations resulted in a response intermediate between the control and comparable unilateral operations.