Testicular atrophy
Encyclopedia
Testicular atrophy is a medical condition in which the male
Male
Male refers to the biological sex of an organism, or part of an organism, which produces small mobile gametes, called spermatozoa. Each spermatozoon can fuse with a larger female gamete or ovum, in the process of fertilization...

 reproductive organ
Organ (anatomy)
In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in structural unit to serve a common function. Usually there is a main tissue and sporadic tissues . The main tissue is the one that is unique for the specific organ. For example, main tissue in the heart is the myocardium, while sporadic are...

s (the testes, which in humans are located in the scrotum
Scrotum
In some male mammals the scrotum is a dual-chambered protuberance of skin and muscle containing the testicles and divided by a septum. It is an extension of the perineum, and is located between the penis and anus. In humans and some other mammals, the base of the scrotum becomes covered with curly...

) diminish in size and may be accompanied by loss of function. This does not refer to temporary changes, such as those brought on by cold.

Some medications can cause testicular atrophy. Anabolic-Androgenic Steroids (AAS) can cause testicular atrophy by reducing the amount of luteinizing hormone
Luteinizing hormone
Luteinizing hormone is a hormone produced by the anterior pituitary gland. In females, an acute rise of LH called the LH surge triggers ovulation and development of the corpus luteum. In males, where LH had also been called interstitial cell-stimulating hormone , it stimulates Leydig cell...

(LH) produced by the pituitary gland. LH stimulates the testicles to produce testosterone. Testicular atrophy caused by steroid use can be prevented by taking hCG, a drug which mimics the effect of LH. However, hCG will simply address the symptoms. Endogenious levels of anabolic-androgenic steroids will remain the cause, and testicular atrophy will continue until the male body regains homeostasis. It is unclear how long hCG can be administered to a male on anabolic-androgenic steroids before desensitization occurs.

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