IMPORTANCE OF PERINATAL TESTOSTERONE IN SEXUAL DIFFERENTIATION IN THE MALE RAT

in Journal of Endocrinology
Authors:
F. GOGAN
Search for other papers by F. GOGAN in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
A. SLAMA
Search for other papers by A. SLAMA in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
B. BIZZINI-KOUTZNETZOVA
Search for other papers by B. BIZZINI-KOUTZNETZOVA in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
,
F. DRAY
Search for other papers by F. DRAY in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
, and
C. KORDON
Search for other papers by C. KORDON in
Current site
Google Scholar
PubMed
Close
Restricted access
Rent on DeepDyve

Sign up for journal news

Testosterone secretion in the male rat was high during the late fetal and immediate postnatal periods. It then showed a rapid decrease 3 h after birth and remained low until puberty.

Male rats from mothers given daily injections of an antibody to testosterone during the week before delivery displayed an LH peak when they were adult, orchidectomized and implanted with oestradiol. However, the amplitude of the peak was far smaller than in female rats from the same mothers treated in the same manner.

Thus, the critical period during which testosterone triggers hypothalamic sexual differentiation is very close to birth, possibly starting at the end of the fetal period.

 

  • Collapse
  • Expand