title: Administration of 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol to female tammar wallaby pouch young causes development of a mature prostate and male urethra.
abstract: Secretion of 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol (5alpha-adiol) by the testes of the tammar wallaby is responsible for initiation of prostatic development after d 20 in male pouch young. To ascertain the role of this hormone in the subsequent growth and differentiation of the prostate and in the development of the male phallus, 5alpha-adiol was administered to tammar female pouch young in two regimens. Administration of the hormone by mouth (8 microg/g body weight.wk) between d 70 and 150 of pouch life caused prostate development equivalent to that in d 150 males and promoted growth and differentiation of the penis, but not masculinization of the urethra. Treatment with a small dose of 5alpha-adiol enanthate (1 microg/g body weight.wk) from d 20-150 produced similar results. However, administration of larger doses of 5alpha-adiol enanthate (10 or 100 microg/g body weight.wk) from d 20-150 caused supraphysiological growth of the prostate, development of a male-type urethra, and penile growth. These results indicate that prostatic development and penile growth can be initiated over a wide time period, but that formation of a male urethra requires androgen action before d 70, when male penile differentiation begins. This further strengthens the hypothesis that 5alpha-adiol is the circulating androgen responsible in this species for virilization during development.
authors.affiliation: Department of Zoology, University of Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia. m.leihy@zoology.unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Leihy
authors.forename: Geoffrey
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Shaw
authors.forename: Marilyn B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Renfree
authors.forename: Jean D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005836:Genitalia, Female / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D007614:Macropodidae / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010413:Penis / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D011467:Prostate / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D014521:Urethra / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*
chemical_list: D015113:Androstane-3,17-diol