Induction of anovulatory sterility by neonatal treatment with 5 beta-dihydrotestosterone in female rats.
Wistar female rats were injected with testosterone (T) or 5 beta-dihydrotestosterone (5 beta-DHT) for the first 5 days of life. Neonatal treatment with 1 mg of T resulted in anovulatory persistent oestrous syndrome in 100% of the animals. In the females injected with 1 mg of 5 beta-DHT, 74% of the treated rats became sterile at 120 days of age. In addition, 0.5 mg 5 beta-DHT was also effective in inducing anovulatory persistent oestrus; the incidence of sterility was 10 and 80% at 60 and 120 days of age, respectively. When daily dose of 5 beta-DHT was reduced to 0.1 mg, however, only 33% of the rats resulted in sterility. These results suggest that the free form of T and non-aromatizable androgen, 5 beta-DHT, can permanently suppress the development of female type of neuroendocrine regulation. The possible participation of the process other than the central aromatization in androgenization will be discussed.
D000818:Animals; D000831:Animals, Newborn / Q000502:physiology; D000858:Anovulation / Q000139:chemically induced*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D004971:Estrus / Q000187:drug effects; D005260:Female; D007247:Infertility, Female / Q000139:chemically induced*; D010053:Ovary / Q000187:drug effects; D010903:Pituitary Gland, Anterior / Q000187:drug effects; D011247:Pregnancy; D051381:Rats; D011944:Receptors, Androgen / Q000187:drug effects; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen / Q000187:drug effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology*; D014599:Uterus / Q000187:drug effects
D011944:Receptors, Androgen; D011960:Receptors, Estrogen; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone