title: Early ovarian follicular development in prepubertal Wistar rats acutely exposed to androgens.
abstract: Androgens may directly modulate early ovarian follicular development in preantral stages and androgen excess before puberty may disrupt this physiological process. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of follicular morphology and circulating androgen and estradiol levels in prepubertal Wistar rats acutely exposed to androgens. Prepubertal female Wistar rats were distributed into three groups: control, equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) intervention and eCG plus dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) intervention (eCG+DHEA). Serum DHEA, testosterone and estradiol levels were determined, and ovarian morphology and morphometry were assessed. The eCG+DHEA group presented increased serum estradiol and testosterone levels as compared with the control group (P<0.01), and higher serum DHEA concentration v. the eCG-only and control groups (P<0.01). In addition, the eCG+DHEA group had a higher number of, and larger-sized, primary and secondary follicles as compared with the control group (P<0.05). The eCG group presented intermediate values for number and size of primary and secondary follicles, without significant differences as compared with the other two groups. The number of antral follicles was higher in the eCG+DHEA and eCG groups v. controls (P<0.05). The number of primordial, atretic and cystic follicles were similar in all groups. In conclusion, the present experimental model using an acute eCG+DHEA intervention was useful to investigate events involved in initial follicular development under hyperandrogenic conditions, and could provide a reliable tool to study defective follicular development with possible deleterious reproductive consequences later in life.
authors.affiliation: 1Gynecological Endocrinology Unit,Division of Endocrinology,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Paixão
authors.affiliation: 2Laboratorio de Fisio-patología Ovárica,Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos,Universidad de Buenos Aires,Buenos Aires,Argentina.
authors.forename: L M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Velez
authors.affiliation: 1Gynecological Endocrinology Unit,Division of Endocrinology,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: B R
authors.initials: BR
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: 1Gynecological Endocrinology Unit,Division of Endocrinology,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tusset
authors.affiliation: 1Gynecological Endocrinology Unit,Division of Endocrinology,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: S B
authors.initials: SB
authors.lastname: Lecke
authors.affiliation: 2Laboratorio de Fisio-patología Ovárica,Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos,Universidad de Buenos Aires,Buenos Aires,Argentina.
authors.forename: A B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.affiliation: 1Gynecological Endocrinology Unit,Division of Endocrinology,Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre,Porto Alegre,Brazil.
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Spritzer
mesh_terms: D000728:Androgens / Q000494:pharmacology*; D000818:Animals; D005260:Female; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development*; D051381:Rats; D017208:Rats, Wistar; D012741:Sexual Maturation / Q000187:drug effects*
chemical_list: D000728:Androgens
keywords: PCOS; dehydroepiandrosterone; follicular development; hyperandrogenism; rat ovary