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We have investigated the long-term effect of a single subcutaneous injection of cadmium chloride on plasma testosterone and gonadotrophin levels and the prolactin response to the dopaminergic antagonist metoclopramide in the rat. Twelve days after treatment with cadmium there was testicular necrosis, associated with a decrease in testosterone concentration and atrophy of the accessory sexual glands. By 185 days, partial recovery of the accessory sexual glands indicated by Leydig cell regeneration and a slight rise in testosterone levels had occurred. There was, however, persistent damage to the germinal epithelium. Concentrations of LH increased eightfold above controls by day 12, remained raised until 60 days and then decreased to threefold above controls at 280 days. In contrast, FSH levels reached a maximum between 60 and 130 days and remained persistently raised.

The peak prolactin response to metoclopramide in cadmium-treated rats was depressed 12 days after cadmium administration and levels remained low at 19 and 75 days. Normal prolactin responses to metoclopramide were obtained 130 days after cadmium treatment using 1·0 mg metoclopramide/kg or 280 days after treatment using 0·25 mg/kg. When control and cadmium-treated rats were castrated at 280 days and then given metoclopramide 10 days later, the prolactin response was significantly reduced. It is concluded that the impaired prolactin response to metoclopramide in cadmium-treated rats is reversible. Prolactin returns to normal in parallel with regeneration of the Leydig cells, partial restoration of the accessory sex organ weight, slight increase in plasma testosterone and decrease in LH levels. These results suggest that testosterone is not solely responsible for the maintenance of normal prolactin secretion in the male rat.

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