The effect of medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamic lesions on testosterone plasma levels and testosterone conversion in the hypothalamus of male rats.
Male Wistar rats were submitted to bilateral high frequency lesions in the medial preoptic-anterior hypothalamic area or to sham procedure. The behavioral effect of the lesions was observed and plasma testosterone (T) and estradiol (E2) were measured by radioimmunoassay. In vitro metabolism of T was studied in the hypothalamus. Lesions produced a permanent deficit in male sexual behavior, an increase of plasma T and E2, and of hypothalamic T aromatization, and a decrease of T conversion to 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT).
D000818:Animals; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000378:metabolism*; D007032:Hypothalamus, Anterior / Q000502:physiology*; D066298:In Vitro Techniques; D008297:Male; D011301:Preoptic Area / Q000502:physiology*; D051381:Rats / Q000502:physiology*; D011919:Rats, Inbred Strains; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood* / Q000378:metabolism
D013739:Testosterone