Abstract
Summary
The effect of neonatal exposure to androgen (1.25 mg testosterone propionate, sc) on pituitary-adrenal function was assessed by evaluating the 24 hr fluctuations in nonstress levels of serum and adrenal corticosterone and by determining the adrenocortical response to ether stress. At 3 hr intervals over a 24 hr period, blood samples for fluorometric determination of serum corticosterone concentration were obtained by rapid decapitation. Adrenals were removed, weighed to the nearest 0.1 mg and frozen for subsequent corticosterone determination. In a second study nonstress and stress blood samples were taken 4 hr after dexamethasone (Dex, 100 μg/kg) or saline injection. Blood samples for determinations of nonstress levels of corticosterone were obtained rapidly (<3 min) from the jugular vein; stress samples were obtained 15 min following onset of 3 min ether stress. In the first study a 24 hr periodicity, similar to that reported previously for intact females, was observed in both serum and adrenal corticosterone levels. Serum and adrenal corticosterone values began increasing prior to 2 pm and peak levels occurred at 5 pm. In the second study, non-stress plasma corticosterone levels in Dextreated rats were lower (P < 0.01) than those of saline-treated animals and both groups showed a significant response to stress (P < 0.01). Collectively, these data provide evidence that pituitary-adrenal function in the female rat is not compromised by neonatal treatment with testosterone.
I would like to express my appreciation to Laurel Patterson and Jackie Skaggs for their excellent technical and secretarial assistance.
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