title: The renal effects of prenatal testosterone in rats.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Previous studies have shown that prenatal testosterone affects the development of not only reproductive organs but also the brain and even glucose metabolism. Whether prenatal testosterone influences the kidney development is largely unknown. We analyzed whether testosterone modulation during prenatal development would affect renal function and the number of nephrons in adult offspring.
  
  
  METHODS
  Pregnant rats were treated with olive oil, testosterone (2 mg/kg), the androgen receptor blocker flutamide (5 mg/kg) or testosterone plus flutamide via daily intramuscular injections from gestation day 14 until delivery. Renal histology and functional parameters were assessed in male and female adult offspring. Macerated kidneys were used for nephron counting.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Prenatal testosterone administration increased proteinuria in male rats by 256%. A similar 134% effect in female rats was not statistically significant. This effect was prevented when flutamide was co-administered. In male rats prenatal testosterone increased blood urea nitrogen. In female rats flutamide increased creatinine clearance. In male rats prenatal testosterone and flutamide led to higher and lower, respectively, interstitial collagen deposition in adulthood.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Prenatal testosterone induces proteinuria in adulthood. This effect is mediated via androgen receptor. Additional effects seem to be sex specific. Further studies should focus on the timing and dosing of testosterone as well as the applicability to human development.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Center for Molecular Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Janka
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Bábíčková
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Veronika
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Borbélyová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Center for Molecular Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: L'ubomíra
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tóthová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Katarína
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kubišová
authors.affiliation: Institute of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Pavol
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Janega
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Physiology, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Center for Molecular Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia.
authors.forename: Július
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hodosy
authors.affiliation: Institute of Molecular Biomedicine, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Institute of Pathophysiology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Department of Molecular Biology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia; Center for Molecular Medicine, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Bratislava, Slovakia. Electronic address: petercelec@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Celec
mesh_terms: D000726:Androgen Antagonists / Q000494:pharmacology; D000728:Androgens / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D005485:Flutamide / Q000494:pharmacology; D007668:Kidney / Q000187:drug effects / Q000196:embryology* / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D009399:Nephrons / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D051381:Rats; D011917:Rats, Inbred Lew; D013739:Testosterone / Q000494:pharmacology / Q000502:physiology*
chemical_list: D000726:Androgen Antagonists; D000728:Androgens; D013739:Testosterone; D005485:Flutamide
keywords: androgens; embryonic and fetal development; female; kidney; male