Disruption of pubertal onset by exogenous testosterone and estrogen in two species of rodents.
The administration of adult physiological levels of testosterone (T) and 17beta-estradiol (E(2)) to male Siberian hamsters was previously shown to delay the onset of puberty. To examine whether this is a response common to other rodents, we investigated whether exogenous steroids also alter the onset of puberty in Syrian hamsters and mice. Juvenile male Syrian hamsters and mice were implanted with Silastic capsules containing T, E(2), or cholesterol control. After 15 days, plasma, pituitaries, and testes were processed for histological analysis or measurements of gonadotropins and circulating steroid hormones. T and E(2) implants reduced testis mass and gonadotropin stores in both species and arrested spermatogenesis in Syrian hamsters. In contrast, spermatogenesis in mice was unaffected by T and only modestly affected by E(2). Although E(2) inhibited circulating follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) in both species, T inhibited circulating FSH in mice only. Overall, our results demonstrate that the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis of each rodent species responds uniquely to T and E(2) during the pubertal transition. Despite the highly varied effects of T and E(2) in these two species, the ability of steroid hormones to disrupt the onset of puberty appears to be a feature common to many rodents.
Pak
Toni R
TR
Department of Environmental, Population and Organismic Biology, University of Colorado, Boulder 80309, USA. toni.pak@colorado.edu
Lynch
G Robert
GR
Ziegler
D Matthew
DM
Lunden
Jason B
JB
Tsai
Pei-San
PS
D000818:Animals; D001835:Body Weight / Q000187:drug effects; D006224:Cricetinae; D004343:Drug Implants; D004958:Estradiol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000032:analysis / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D008647:Mesocricetus; D051379:Mice; D010902:Pituitary Gland / Q000737:chemistry / Q000187:drug effects; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects*; D013091:Spermatogenesis / Q000187:drug effects; D013737:Testis / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects; D013739:Testosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology*
D004343:Drug Implants; D013739:Testosterone; D004958:Estradiol; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone; D005640:Follicle Stimulating Hormone