Kinetic study of HCG induced decrease of microsomal 7α-hydroxylase activity in rat testes

Article abstract of DOI:10.1016/0039-128X(80)90048-3

Microsomes from rat testes were incubated with varying concentrations of ¹⁴C labelled testosterone and androstenedione. The production of 7α-hydroxytestosterone and 7α-hydroxyandrostenedione was followed; K(m) and V(m) values were calculated from Lineweaver-Burk curves. A sustained treatment of rats with HCG resulted in a considerable decrease of the maximal 7α-hydroxylation rate (V(m)) whereas the K(m) value was not changed. V(m) of microsomes from normal rats, when incubated with microsomes from HCG-treated animals, was also decreased substantially. It is concluded that HCG-induced depression of 7α-hydroxylation capacity of testicular microsomes is at least in part due to non-competitive inhibition of the enzyme.