Reduced tissue androgen receptors in the congenitally obese male Zucker rat.
Androgen receptor (AR) concentrations were measured in the prostates and livers of the infertile congenitally obese male Zucker rat and their fertile non-obese litter-mates. In obese rats AR concentrations were significantly lower in both the liver (p less than 0.001) and the prostates (p less than 0.01) of the obese rats compared with the non-obese rats, despite similar plasma testosterone concentrations in both phenotypes. These findings suggest that a potential cause for the infertility observed in the obese Zucker rat is a reduced sensitivity of target tissues to circulating androgens.
D000818:Animals; D003600:Cytosol / Q000378:metabolism; D008099:Liver / Q000378:metabolism*; D008297:Male; D011467:Prostate / Q000378:metabolism*; D051381:Rats; D011924:Rats, Zucker; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000378:metabolism*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood
D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D013739:Testosterone