The influence of sex-specific brain differentiation and of postpuberal sex hormone levels on the development of sex-specific differences of body weights as well as triglyceride, high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol and total cholesterol serum levels in rats.
The effects of perinatal sexual differentiation of the brain and of postpuberal sex hormone levels on the development of sex-specific differences in body weight as well as triglyceride (TG), high-density-lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-CHOL) and total cholesterol were investigated. Significant differences in body weight of male and female rats are attributed to the influence of different androgen levels during the perinatal period as well as to the influence of different postpuberal estrogen (E) and androgen (A) levels. Sex-specific differences in TG serum levels are essentially caused by varying influence of androgens during the perinatal period, possibly in part after conversion to estrogens. Different postpuberal sex hormone concentrations seem to have only little effect on the TG levels. Sex-specific differences in HDL-CHOL serum levels appear to be independent of androgens during the perinatal period as well as of physiological postpuberal estrogen levels. These differences are mainly the result of the current postpuberal androgen levels. Total CHOL did not show any sex-specific differences under the conditions of the experiment.
D000375:Aging; D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight; D001921:Brain / Q000254:growth & development*; D002369:Castration; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood*; D008076:Cholesterol, HDL / Q000097:blood*; D004958:Estradiol / Q000494:pharmacology; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D051381:Rats; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D012733:Sex Differentiation / Q000187:drug effects; D012737:Sex Factors; D012741:Sexual Maturation; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood*
D008076:Cholesterol, HDL; D014280:Triglycerides; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D002784:Cholesterol