title: Anesthetic pregnanes counteract androgen-induced defeminization.
abstract: The capacity of various pregnanes for counteracting androgen-induced defeminization was evaluated in an attempt to define some cellular mechanisms involved in the defeminization process. 5-day-old female rats received 60 microgram testosterone propionate (TP) along with one of various pregnanes: progesterone, 5 beta-pregnandione, 5 beta, 3 alpha-pregnanolone, 5 beta, 3 beta-pregnanolone, 5 alpha-pregnandione, 5 alpha, 3 beta-pregnanolone, 5 alpha, 3 alpha-pregnanolone or chlormadinone acetate. Protection against defeminization was defined as a significantly smaller proportion of anovulatory animals in a group compared to the control TP group. Data were analyzed at 60, 90 and 120 days of age. The anesthetic potency of the pregnanes was evaluated in 5-day-old male rats through the analysis of EEG and EMG records. Anesthetic pregnanes - progesterone, 5 beta-pregnandione and 5 beta, 3 alpha-pregnanolone - counteracted defeminization while nonanesthetic pregnanes - 5 alpha-pregnanes, chlormadinone acetate and 5 beta, 3 beta-pregnanolone - did not. The results show a clear relation between anesthetic capacity and protection against defeminization.
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging; D000777:Anesthetics / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D000858:Anovulation / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000517:prevention & control; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011277:Pregnanediones / Q000494:pharmacology; D011278:Pregnanes / Q000494:pharmacology*; D011280:Pregnanolone / Q000494:pharmacology; D011374:Progesterone / Q000494:pharmacology; D051381:Rats; D013739:Testosterone
chemical_list: D000777:Anesthetics; D011277:Pregnanediones; D011278:Pregnanes; D013739:Testosterone; D011374:Progesterone; D011280:Pregnanolone