Epididymal androgen binding protein in protein-calorie malnourished rats.

Androgen binding protein (ABP) was measured at five-day intervals from 20 to 50 days of age in the epididymides of rats fed a low protein diet. The results were compared to findings made in age-matched controls fed a standard laboratory diet. ABP was consistently lower in the caputs of the malnourished rats throughout the entire study. Moreover, no significant changes were noted in caput ABP concentrations as these rats aged. In contrast, this protein was observed to increase during the course of the month-long experiment in those animals fed the standard laboratory diet. These findings indicate that dietary protein deficiency has a marked debilitative effect on Sertoli cell function.