FAILURE OF DIHYDROTESTOSTERONE TO ELICIT SEXUAL BEHAVIOUR IN THE FEMALE CAT

in Journal of Endocrinology
Author:
VERONICA A. CERNY
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Laboratory of Anatomy, Department of Animal Biology, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, U.S.A.

(Received 28 March 1977)

Testosterones have stimulatory effects on peripheral target tissue and sexual behaviour in male and female rats (Beach, 1942), guinea-pigs (Young, 1961; Diamond & Young, 1963), rabbits (Palka & Sawyer, 1966; Beyer & Rivaud, 1973) and cats (Green, Clemente & de Groot, 1957; Young, 1961; Whalen & Hardy, 1970). 5α-Androstan-17β-ol-3-one (dihydrotestosterone, DHT) has stimulatory effects on peripheral target organs, and like testosterones, a negative feedback effect on the pituitary gland and hypothalamus (Feder, 1971).

No behavioural effects were seen in male or female rats when DHT was injected systemically (Beyer, Morali & Cruz, 1971; Feder, 1971) nor in the male rat when it was administered intracerebrally (Johnston & Davidson, 1972). Many experiments support the hypothesis that only androgens that can be aromatized to oestrogens can elicit sexual behaviour and

 

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