Skip to main content
Download PDF
  • Gametes Males: Production et Qualite
  • Published:

Régulation thermique du testicule

Andrologie volume 6, pages 137–140 (1996)Cite this article

Resume

Il apparaît qu'une nécessité a évolué chez de nombreux mammifères pour que les testicules soient maintenus à une température plus basse que celle des organes abdominaux. Un certain nombre de structures anatomiques spécialisées sont impliquées dans ce processus, et il est évident que le testicule est sensible à l'élévation de température.

Abstract

It appears that a need has evolved in many mammals for the testes to be kept at a temperature less than that found in other abdominal organs. A number of specialized anatomical structures are involved in this process, and it is clear that many aspects of sperm production and function can be adversely affected if the testes of the whole animal are exposed to temperatures only slightly above their normal values.

References

  1. BELLVÉ A.R.: Development of mouse embryos with abnormalities induced by parental heat stress. J. Reprod., Fert. 1973, 35: 393–403.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. BRINDLEY G.S.: Deep scrotal temperature and the effect on it of clothing, air temperature, activity, posture and paraplegia. Brit. J. Urol., 1982, 54: 49–55.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. BURFENING PJ, ELLIOTT DS, EISEN EJ, ULBERG LC: Survival of embryos resulting from spermatozoa produced by mice exposed to elevated ambient temperature. J. Anim. Sci., 1970, 30: 578–582.

    Google Scholar 

  4. DAHL E.V., HERRICK J.F.: A vascular mechanism for maintaining testicular temperature by counter-current exchange. Surg. Gynecol. Obstet., 1959, 108: 697–705.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. EKPE G., SEAMARK R.F., SOWERBUTTS S.F., SETCHELL B.P.: Effect of intermittent scrotal insulation on fertilising ability of ram spermatozoa and the development of the embryos to blastocysts in vitro. Proc. Austr. Soc. Reprod. Biol., 1992, 24: 51.

    Google Scholar 

  6. EKPE G., ZUPP J.L., SEAMARK R.F., SETCHELL B.P.: Fertilising ability of spermatozoa from rams subjected to intermittent scrotal insulation and development of the resultant embryos in vitro. Proc. Austr. Soc. Reprod. Biol., 1993, 25: 88.

    Google Scholar 

  7. FOWLER D.G.: The relationship between air temperature, scrotal surface area and testis temperature in rams. Aust. J. exp. Agric. Anim. Husb., 1969, 9: 258–261.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. GALIL K.A.A., SETCHELL B.P.: Effects of local heating of the testis on the concentration in jugular and testicular venous blood of rats and on testosterone production in vitro. Int. J. Androl., 1987, 11: 61–72.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. GARRIOT M.L., CHRISMAN C.L.: Hyperthermia induced dissociation of the X-Y bivalent in mice. Environ. Mutagen., 1980, 2: 465–471.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. KITAYAMA T.: Study on testicular temperature in man. Acta Urol. Jpn., 1965, 11: 435–437.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. KORMANO M.: Development of the rectum-testis temperature difference in the post-natal rat. J. Reprod. Fert., 1967, 14: 427–437.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. LARSSON K., EINARSSON S., LUNDSTROM K., HAKKARINEN J.: Endocrine effects of heat stress in boars. Acta vet. Scand., 1983, 24: 305–314.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. MIEUSSET R., FOUDA P.J., VAYSSE Ph., GUITARD J., MOSCOVICI J., JUSKIEWENSKI S.: Increase in testicular temperature in case of cryptorchidism in boys. Fertil. Steril., 1993, 59: 1319–1321.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. MIEUSSET R., GRANDJEAN H., MANSAT A., PONTONNIER F.: Inhibiting effect of artificial cryptorchidism on spermatogenesis. Fertil. Steril., 1985, 43: 589–594.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. MIEUSSET R., QUINTANA-CASARES P., SANCHEZ-PARTIDA L.G., SOWERBUTTS S.F., ZUPP J.L., SETCHELL B.P.: The effects of moderate heating of the testes and epididymides of rams by scrotal insulation on body temperature, respiratory rate, spermatozoa output and motility, and on fertility and embryonic survival in ewes inseminated with frozen semen. Ann. N.Y. Acad. Sci., 1991, 637: 445–458.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. MIEUSSET R., QUINTANA-CASARES P., SANCHEZ-PARTIDA L.G., SOWERBUTTS S.F., ZUPP J.L., SETCHELL B.P.: Effects of heating the testes and epididymides of rams by scrotal insulation on fertility and embryonic mortality in ewes inseminated with frozen semen. J. Reprod. Fert., 1992, 94: 4345–4352.

    Google Scholar 

  17. MOORE C.R.: Properties of the gonads as controllers of somatic and psychical characteristics. Am. J. Anat., 1924, 34: 337–358.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  18. MUNABI A.K., CASSORLE F.G., D'AGATA R., ALBERTSON B., LORIAUX D.L., LIPSETT M.B.: The effects of temperature on the activity of testicular steroidogenic enzymes. Steroids, 1984, 42: 325–331.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. ROMMEL S.A., PABST D.A., McLELLAN W.A., MEAD J.G., POTTER C.W.: Anatomical evidence for a countercurrent heat exchanger associated with dolphin testes. Anat. Rec., 1992, 232: 150–156.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. ROMMEL S.A., EARLY G.A., MATASSA K.A., PABST D.A., McLELLAN W.A.: Venous structures associated with thermoregulation of phocid seal reproductive organs. Anat. Rec., 1995, 243: 390–402.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. SETCHELL B.P.: The mammalian testis. Elek Books, London, 1978, 450 p.

    Google Scholar 

  22. SETCHELL B.P.: Possible physiological bases for contraceptive techniques in the male. Human Reprod., 1994, 9: 1081–1087.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. SETCHELL B.P., MIEUSSET R.: Testis thermoregulation. In Hamamah S., Mieusset R. eds. Male gametes: production and quality. Paris, Inserm, 1996, in press.

    Google Scholar 

  24. SETCHELL B.P., D'OCCHIO M.J., HALL M.J., LAURIE M.S., TUCKER M.J., ZUPP J.L.: Is embryonic mortality increased in normal females mated to subfertile males? J. Reprod. Fert., 1988, 82: 567–574.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. SETCHELL B.P., VOGLMAYR J.K., HINKS N.: The effect of local heating on the flow and composition of rete testis fluid in conscious ram. J. Reprod. Fert., 1971, 24: 81–89.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. SETCHELL B.P., ZUPP J.L., EKPE G., MADDOCKS S., GRIGG G.: The effect of environmental temperature on scrotal temperature in rams at pasture, recorded by telemetry. Proc. Austr. Soc. Reprod. Biol., 1994, 26: 87.

    Google Scholar 

  27. SHAFICK A.: The dartos muscle. A study of its surgical anatomy and role in varicocelogenesis: a new concept of its thermoregulatory function. Invest. Urol., 1973, 2: 98–100.

    Google Scholar 

  28. SOD MORIAH U.A., GOLBERG G.M., BEDRACK E.: Intrascrotal temperature, testicular histology and fertility of heat acclimatized rats. J. Reprod. Fert., 1974, 37: 263–268.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. STONE B.A., SEAMARK R.F.: Effects of acute and chronic testicular hyperthermia on levels of testosterone and corticolsteroids in plasma of boars. Anim. Reprod. Sci., 1984, 7: 391–403.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. VAN ZELST S., ZUPP J.L., HAYMAN D.L., SETCHELL B.P.: X-Y dissociation during meiosis in males induced by heat. Proc. Aust. Soc. Reprod. Biol., 1992, 24: 88.

    Google Scholar 

  31. WAITES G.M.H.: Thermoregulation of the scrotum and testis: studies in animals and significance for man. In Zorgniotti A.W. ed. Temperature and environmental effects on the testis. New York, Plenum Press, 1991: 1–8

    Google Scholar 

  32. WAITES G.M.H., MOULE G.R.: Relation of vascular heat exchange to temperature regulation in the testis of the ram. J. Reprod. Fert., 1961, 2: 213–224.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. WAITES G.M.H., SETCHELL B.P.: Physiology of the mammalian testis. In: Lamming G.E. ed. Marshall's Physiology of Reproduction. Fourth Edition. London, Churchill Livingstone, 1990, vol 2: 1–105.

    Google Scholar 

  34. WAITES G.M.H., VOGLMAYR J.K.: The functional activity and control of the apocrine sweat glands of the scrotum of the ram. Aust. J. agric. Res., 1963, 14: 839–851.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  35. WALDBIESER G.C., CHRISMAN C.L.: X-Y univalency in the testes of hyperthermic mice. I Concomitant formation of multinucleated giant cells. Gam. Res., 1986, 15: 153–160.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  36. WISNER J.R., GOMES W.R.: Influence of incubation temperature on activity of cholesterol sidechain cleavage enzyme and δ-3ß-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase in rat testis. J. Endocr., 1975, 65: 143–144.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. ZORGNIOTTI A.W., REISS H., TOTH A., SEALFON A.: Effect of clothing on scrotal temperature in normal men and patients with poor semen. Urol., 1982, 19: 176–178.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. ZUPP J.L., SETCHELL B.P.: Prolonged effect of subfertile males in reducing numbers of fetuses in normal females rats. Proc. Aust. Soc. Reprod. Biol., 1988, 20: 70.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Animal Science, University of Adelaïde (Waite), 5064, Australia

    B. P. Setchell

  2. Centre de Stérilité Masculine, Hôpital de la Grave, 31052, Toulouse, France

    R. Mieusset

Authors
  1. B. P. Setchell
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. R. Mieusset
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Setchell, B.P., Mieusset, R. Régulation thermique du testicule. Androl. 6, 137–140 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03034440

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF03034440

Mots-clés

Key words

Basic and Clinical Andrology

ISSN: 2051-4190