The occurrence of C19 steroids in testicular tissue and submaxillary glands of intersex pigs in relation to morphological characteristics.

Five true hermaphrodite pigs and two male pseudohermaphrodite pigs were studied. A 38XX sex chromosome constitution was found in peripheral leucocytes of three true hermaphrodites and in one male pseudohermaphrodite; XX/XY mixoploidy was present in the leucocytes of the remaining male pseudohermaphrodite. The occurrence of C19 steroids, including 16-androstenes, in the testicular tissue and submaxillary gland of intersex pigs was of a similar pattern to that found previously in mature boars, and masculinization of the genital tract was related to the amount of testicular tissue present. It is postulated that in the absence of germ cells in the testicular tissue of intersex pigs the Sertoli cells may be involved in the metabolism of dehydroepiandrosterone to 5-androstenediol, a possible testosterone precursor in the pig. The high levels of 16-androstenes found in the submaxillary gland of intersex pigs indicates that these steroids are responsible for 'boar taint' in these animals. In contrast to the boar, no consistent relationship was found between the occurrence of C19 steroids and the degree of masculinization of the submaxillary gland; it is postulated that the predominantly female genetic constitution may have affected the response of the salivary gland to androgen.