title: Effects of chronic DHEA treatment on central and peripheral reproductive parameters, the onset of vaginal opening and the estrous cycle in female rats.
abstract: The neonatal and/or prepubertal androgen milieu affects sexual maturation and reproductive function in adulthood. However, the effects of chronic dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) treatment on reproductive functions have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the reproductive phenotypes and parameters of rats that had been subjected to chronic DHEA treatment were evaluated in this study. The chronic DHEA-treated (from postnatal day 23-12 weeks of age) rats exhibited earlier vaginal opening, indicating that DHEA treatment promotes sexual maturation. In addition, the estrus phase lasted longer in the DHEA-treated rats, suggesting that their estrous cycles had been disrupted. As the DHEA-treated rats' serum luteinizing hormone levels and hypothalamic Kiss1 mRNA expression levels were decreased and their uterine weight was increased, DHEA and/or estrogen might directly affect reproductive phenotypes. While DHEA treatment caused changes in body weight and body composition in chronic testosterone-treated models in previous studies, no such changes were seen in the present study.
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Iwasa
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Matsuzaki
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Altankhuu
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tungalagsuvd
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Munkhsaikhan
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Munkhzaya
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Mayila
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yiliyasi
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kato
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Akira
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kuwahara
authors.affiliation: a Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology , Institute of Biomedical Sciences, Tokushima University Graduate School , Tokushima , Japan.
authors.forename: Minoru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Irahara
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D030762:Estrous Cycle / Q000187:drug effects*; D005260:Female; D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007031:Hypothalamus / Q000187:drug effects; D059648:Kisspeptins / Q000187:drug effects*; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone / Q000187:drug effects*; D051381:Rats; D017207:Rats, Sprague-Dawley; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects*; D014621:Vagina / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development
chemical_list: D012739:Gonadal Steroid Hormones; C491406:Kiss1 protein, rat; D059648:Kisspeptins; D003687:Dehydroepiandrosterone; D007986:Luteinizing Hormone
keywords: DHEA; Kiss1; LH; estrous cycle; hypothalamus; puberty