PMID- 9323463
OWN - NLM
STAT- MEDLINE
DCOM- 19971105
LR  - 20181201
IS  - 0378-5866 (Print)
IS  - 0378-5866 (Linking)
VI  - 19
IP  - 5
DP  - 1997
TI  - Effects of prenatal testosterone on sexual behavior, reproductive morphology and 
      LH secretion in the female rat.
PG  - 430-7
AB  - Sexual differentiation of many brain structures and functions is dependent on 
      levels of testosterone (T) or its metabolites during certain 'sensitive' 
      developmental periods. If T is present during these perinatal periods, 
      masculinization and defeminization of sexual behavior occur; also, reproductive 
      physiology, and central nervous system morphology and function are altered. The 
      purpose of the present study was to characterize the influence of T at specific 
      prenatal developmental intervals on offspring reproductive morphology, 
      physiology, locomotor activity and sexual behavior during postnatal development. 
      To avoid complications induced by endogenous testicular activity, only females 
      were examined. Free T was used because of its relative short half-life, so that 
      the effects induced by its administration on a specific gestational day (GD) 
      could be evaluated. Pregnant rats received a single subcutaneous injection of 
      either sesame oil (controls) or 5 mg of T on GD 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, or 22. 
      Female offspring of pregnant rats exposed to T displayed significant alterations 
      in morphology and behavior. The anogenital distance, measured at 25 days 
      postbirth, was significantly increased if T was administered on GD 16, 17 or 18. 
      T treatment on GD 16 or each day thereafter through GD 20 significantly delayed 
      the normal occurrence of vaginal opening (controls at 37.5 days vs. T treatment 
      which ranged from 38.5 to 41.4 days). Abnormal vaginal morphology (enlarged 
      clitoris) was also observed when T was injected during a similar prenatal 
      interval (i.e. GD 16 to GD 22). Furthermore, prenatal T treatment on GD 18 (and 
      each day thereafter), until GD 22 significantly decreased lordotic behavior 
      compared to control values. However, exposure to T, on any prenatal GD did not 
      alter the animals' ability to exhibit an induced luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. 
      These results suggest that the onset for altered reproductive morphology occurs 
      at least as early as GD 16, whereas the onset of sexual behavior sensitivity 
      occurs precisely at GD 18, and that the normal pattern of adult LH release in 
      females is not altered by prenatal androgen treatment using this specific 
      paradigm.
FAU - Rhees, R W
AU  - Rhees RW
AD  - Department of Zoology, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah 84602, USA. 
      RheesW@ACD1.BYU.edu
FAU - Kirk, B A
AU  - Kirk BA
FAU - Sephton, S
AU  - Sephton S
FAU - Lephart, E D
AU  - Lephart ED
LA  - eng
PT  - Journal Article
PL  - Switzerland
TA  - Dev Neurosci
JT  - Developmental neuroscience
JID - 7809375
RN  - 3XMK78S47O (Testosterone)
RN  - 9002-67-9 (Luteinizing Hormone)
SB  - IM
MH  - Animals
MH  - Brain Chemistry/drug effects/physiology
MH  - Clitoris/growth & development
MH  - Female
MH  - Luteinizing Hormone/blood/*metabolism
MH  - Male
MH  - Pregnancy
MH  - *Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects
MH  - Rats
MH  - Rats, Sprague-Dawley
MH  - Reproduction/*drug effects
MH  - Sex Differentiation/drug effects
MH  - Sexual Behavior, Animal/*drug effects
MH  - Testosterone/*pharmacology
MH  - Vagina/growth & development
EDAT- 1997/01/01 00:00
MHDA- 1997/11/04 00:01
CRDT- 1997/01/01 00:00
PHST- 1997/01/01 00:00 [pubmed]
PHST- 1997/11/04 00:01 [medline]
PHST- 1997/01/01 00:00 [entrez]
AID - 10.1159/000111240 [doi]
PST - ppublish
SO  - Dev Neurosci. 1997;19(5):430-7. doi: 10.1159/000111240.