Androgens stimulate specific aspects of maternal nest-building and reduce food intake in rabbits.
Fluctuations in the plasma concentration of estradiol, progesterone, and prolactin across pregnancy regulate maternal nest-building (digging, straw-carrying, and hair-plucking) and food intake in rabbits. Because testosterone levels also change through pregnancy, we investigated if the injection of testosterone propionate (TP; 1 or 5 mg/day) or 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone propionate (5 or 10 mg/day) for 20 days, alone and combined with progesterone (P; 10 mg/day from days 2 to 15), modulated nest-building and food intake in ovariectomized rabbits. Only the combined injection of TP (5 mg/day) plus P stimulated digging and no treatment promoted straw-carrying or hair-plucking. Both androgens induced hair-loosening from the ventrum, an effect counteracted by P. High doses of TP and 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone propionate reduced food intake by 60-70% of baseline values; this effect was counteracted by P in TP-treated animals. These results support a participation of androgens in specific aspects of maternal nest-building and reveal a strong inhibitory effect on food intake.
González-Mariscal
Gabriela
G
Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV-UAT, Apdo Postal 62, Tlax, Tlaxcala 90000, Mexico. gglezm@prodigy.net.mx
Jiménez
Pedro
P
Beyer
Carlos
C
Rosenblatt
Jay S
JS
D000818:Animals; D013196:Dihydrotestosterone / Q000097:blood; D004435:Eating / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D008425:Maternal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D009425:Nesting Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood; D011817:Rabbits / Q000097:blood*; D013739:Testosterone / Q000097:blood*
D013196:Dihydrotestosterone; D013739:Testosterone; D011374:Progesterone