Gonadal function in male offspring of pinealectomized female rats

1987 ◽  
Vol 116 (2) ◽  
pp. 247-252 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. F. Jarrige ◽  
O. Tlemcani ◽  
D. Boucher

Abstract. Female rats were exposed to a short (6 L: 18 D) photoperiod from 21 days of age. On day 2 of gestation, animals were pinealectomized or sham-operated. Lighting regimens were not changed during the course of the study. Male offspring of the 2 groups of rats were sacrificed on days 30, 42 and 49 after birth. Pinealectomy of the mother induced the following modifications: in 30-day-old offsprings, a decrease in prostatic weight and plasma dihydrotestosterone level; in 42-day-old rats, a decrease in prostatic weight, in testicular androstenedione and dihydrotestosterone content, and in plasma testosterone and dihydrotestosterone levels; in 49-day-old animals, decreased testicular and plasma testosterone and dihydrotestosterone levels. These results indicate that rat testicular function, after exposure to a short photoperiod beginning before conception, is decreased by maternal pinealectomy. The mother's pineal gland may play a part in the control of rat testicular function.

1967 ◽  
Vol 54 (1) ◽  
pp. 189-192 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fred A. Kind ◽  
G. Benagiano

ABSTRACT One and five day old male and female rats were pinealectomized and their reproductive function studied when they matured. In females the fertility index was similar to untreated or sham operated groups. However, the females matured 8 to 9 days earlier as evidenced by the opening of the vaginal membrane. In males pinealectomy had no influence on testes development and accessory sex tissue weights. It is concluded that the regulatory function of the pineal gland with respect to gonadal function is a minor one.


1984 ◽  
Vol 107 (4) ◽  
pp. 550-555
Author(s):  
G. Veyssière ◽  
M. Berger ◽  
Ch. Jean-Faucher ◽  
M. de Turckheim ◽  
Cl. Jean

Abstract. Pituitary and testicular function was studied in pubertal and adult rabbits with pseudohermaphroditism secondary to immunization of mothers against testosterone. Circulating testosterone, LH and FSH levels showed a developmental pattern during sexual maturation, similar to that observed in controls. Plasma FSH levels were elevated in male pseudohermaphrodites despite normal plasma testosterone concentrations. Fighting, male sexual behaviour and coitus occurred normally as in controls. The testicular response to endogenous elevated LH levels and the pituitary LH and FSH responses to LRH injection and to castration were similar in affected males and in controls. These observations suggest that inhibition of the central effects of androgens during the embryonic and perinatal period has little or no effect on the differentiation and maturation of the hypothalamo-pituitary-testicular axis in rabbit.


2019 ◽  
Vol 38 (12) ◽  
pp. 1344-1365 ◽  
Author(s):  
A Ullah ◽  
M Pirzada ◽  
S Jahan ◽  
H Ullah ◽  
S Razak ◽  
...  

Research in the past has indicated associated long-term and low levels of exposure of bisphenol A (BPA) in early life and neuroendocrine disorders, such as obesity, precocious puberty, diabetes, and hypertension. BPA and its analogs bisphenol B (BPB), bisphenol F (BPF), and bisphenol S (BPS) have been reported to have similar or even more toxic effect as compared to BPA. Exposure of rats to BPA and its analogs BPB, BPF, and BPS resulted in decreased sperm production, testosterone secretion, and histological changes in the reproductive tissues of male rats. In the present study, BPA, BPB, BPF, and BPS were administered in drinking water at concentrations of (5, 25, and 50 μg/L) from pregnancy day (PD) 1 to PD 21. Body weight (BW), hormonal concentrations, antioxidant enzymes, and histological changes were determined in the reproductive tissues. BPA and its analogs prenatal exposure to female rats induced significant statistical difference in the antioxidant enzymes, plasma testosterone, and estrogen concentrations in the male offspring when compared with the control. Histological parameters of both testis and epididymis revealed prominent changes in the reproductive tissues. The present study suggests that BPA and its analogs BPB, BPF, and BPS different concentrations led to marked alterations in the development of the male reproductive system.


2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 99-114
Author(s):  
Janaína B Garcia ◽  
Fernanda G Do Amaral ◽  
Daniela C Buonfiglio ◽  
Rafaela FA Vendrame ◽  
Patrícia L Alves ◽  
...  

The pineal gland synthesizes melatonin exclusively at night, which gives melatonin the characteristic of a temporal synchronizer of the physiological systems. Melatonin is a regulator of insulin activities centrally and also peripherally and its synthesis is reduced in diabetes.  Since monosodium glutamate (MSG) is often used to induce the type 2 diabetic and metabolic syndrome in animal models, the purpose of this work is to evaluate the potential effects of MSG given to neonates on the pineal melatonin synthesis in different aged male and female rats. Wistar rats were subcutaneously injected with MSG (4mg/g/day) or saline solution (0.9%) from the second to eighth post-natal day. The circadian profiles both melatonin levels and AANAT activity were monitored at different ages. Body weight, naso-anal length, adipose tissues weight, GTT, ITT and serum insulin levels were also evaluated. Typical obesity with the neonatal MSG treatment was observed, indicated by a great increase in adipose depots without a concurrent increase in body weight. MSG treatment did not cause hyperglycemia or glucose intolerance, but induced insulin resistance. An increase of melatonin synthesis at ZT 15 with phase advance was observed in in some animals. The AANAT activity was positively parallel to the melatonin circadian profile. It seems that MSG causes hypothalamic obesity which may increase AANAT activity and melatonin production in pineal gland. These effects were not temporally correlated with insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia indicating the hypothalamic lesions, particularly in arcuate nucleus induced by MSG in early age, as the principal cause of the increase in melatonin production.


1970 ◽  
Vol 63 (4) ◽  
pp. 667-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russel J. Reiter

ABSTRACT The influence of early androgen treatment, light deprivation (by blinding), pinealectomy and superior cervical ganglionectomy on the reproductive system of female rats was tested. Early postnatal treatment of rats with testosterone propionate caused adult rats to exhibit the characteristic signs of androgen sterilization; these included polyfollicular ovaries, normal-sized uteri and persistent vaginal cornification. If early androgentreated rats also were blinded the ovaries were smaller in size and contained fewer follicles, the uteri were greatly reduced in size and the incidence of vaginal oestrus was decreased by approximately 50% If in addition to blinding, androgen-sterilized animals were subjected to either removal of the pineal gland or superior cervical ganglia, the reproductive organs and the vaginal smears were indistinguishable from those of testosterone-treated rats with eyes. These data indicate that the inhibitory influence of blinding on the pituitary-ovarian axis was mediated through the sympathetic nervous system and the pineal gland. The restraining influence of light deprivation on the growth of the reproductive organs was not permanent as illustrated by the fact that if these animals were kept to 120 days of age the ovaries and uteri grew to the same level as those of pinealectomized control rats.


1989 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 304-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
F Aubier ◽  
F Flamant ◽  
R Brauner ◽  
J M Caillaud ◽  
J M Chaussain ◽  
...  

The testicular function of 30 adolescent or adult males having undergone polychemotherapy in childhood was assessed by means of a spermogram or testicular biopsy. At the time of examination, the patients were pubertal and had completed chemotherapy between 1 and 20 years previously (mean, 9 years). All patients who were prepubertal or intrapubertal at the time of treatment achieved normal puberty with normal growth. Twenty patients presented with azoospermia and/or severe disturbances in the germinal line on biopsy. This series confirms the toxicity of alkylating agents, in particular that of the mechlorethamine, vincristine, procarbazine, and prednisone combination (MOPP) and that of cyclophosphamide (CPM). However, dactinomycin, vinblastine, and vincristine did not appear to have a toxic effect on spermatogenesis. The prepubertal state did not protect the gonads of 19 patients who were prepubertal at diagnosis: 12 are now sterile as a result of the treatment. An increase in basal follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels gives a good indication of testicular damage, although normal levels do not rule out the possibility of azoospermia.


1990 ◽  
Vol 126 (3) ◽  
pp. 461-466 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. N. Sillence ◽  
R. G. Rodway

ABSTRACT The effects of trenbolone acetate (TBA) on growth and on plasma concentrations of corticosterone were examined in male and female rats. At 5 weeks of age, rats were injected with TBA (0·8 mg/kg) dissolved in peanut oil, or with oil alone, daily for 10 days. In female rats, TBA caused an increase in weight gain (20–38%), a reduction in adrenal weight (19%) and a reduction in plasma concentrations of corticosterone (55%). In contrast, TBA-treated male rats showed no significant increase in weight gain, no significant change in adrenal weight and no reduction in plasma concentrations of corticosterone. The mechanism by which adrenal activity was suppressed in TBA-treated female rats was examined and the response compared with that to testosterone. Female rats (8 weeks old) were injected daily either with oil vehicle, TBA (0·8 mg/kg) or testosterone propionate (0·8 mg/kg). Testosterone increased weight gain (24%), but the growth response to TBA treatment was significantly greater (97%). A reduction in plasma concentrations of corticosterone (45%) was again observed in response to TBA. However, testosterone increased plasma concentrations of corticosterone (52%) above those of control values. Neither androgen affected plasma concentrations of ACTH. Finally, the effects of TBA were examined in 6-week-old female rats, to characterize further the apparent age-related increase in responsiveness. The growth response of 6-week-old rats (60–74%) was intermediate between that seen in 5- and 8-week-old animals. It is concluded that part of the anabolic activity of TBA may be related to a reduction in circulating concentrations of corticosterone. The effect of TBA on corticosterone concentrations differs from that of the natural androgen, testosterone, and does not appear to be mediated by a reduction in plasma concentrations of ACTH. Journal of Endocrinology (1990) 126, 461–466


1992 ◽  
Vol 132 (1) ◽  
pp. 39-45 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. C. Dalkin ◽  
S. J. Paul ◽  
D. J. Haisenleder ◽  
G. A. Ortolano ◽  
M. Yasin ◽  
...  

ABSTRACT Gonadal steroids can act both indirectly via gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and directly on the pituitary to regulate gonadotrophin subunit gene expression. Recent studies to assess a possible direct action at the pituitary have shown that testosterone, when given to males in the absence of endogenous GnRH action, selectively increases FSH-β mRNA concentrations. Conversely, in females, oestradiol appears to regulate gonadotrophin subunit mRNAs primarily via GnRH. The present study was designed to determine whether these differing results reflect specific actions of the gonadal steroids themselves or different responses of the pituitary gonadotroph cells in males and females. Rats which had been castrated 7 days earlier were given silicone elastomer implants (s.c.) containing oestradiol (plasma oestradiol 68 ± 4 ng/l) in males or testosterone (plasma testosterone 3·5 ± 0·3 μg/l) in females in the absence or presence of a GnRH antagonist. Seven days later pituitaries were removed and steady-state mRNA concentrations measured by dotblot hybridization. In males, oestradiol reduced LH-β and FSH-β but not α mRNA. The antagonist reduced levels of all three subunit mRNAs in males and the addition of oestradiol had no further effect, suggesting that oestradiol regulates gonadotrophin subunit gene expression in males by suppressing GnRH secretion. In females, testosterone reduced all three subunit mRNAs though FSH-β remained threefold higher than in intact animals. The GnRH antagonist was as effective as testosterone alone and reduced α and LH-β to levels found in intact animals. FSH-β mRNA was partially reduced by antagonist alone in ovariectomized females but the addition of testosterone increased FSH-β twofold versus antagonist alone (as has been observed in males). These findings, together with earlier data, suggest that testosterone increased FSH-β twofold versus antagonist alone (as has been observed in males). These findings, together with earlier data, suggest that testosterone reduces gonadotrophin subunit mRNAs by inhibiting GnRH secretion and also acts directly on the gonadotroph to increase steady-state FSH-β mRNA concentrations in both males and females. Journal of Endocrinology (1992) 132, 39–45


2009 ◽  
Vol 4 (4) ◽  
pp. 557-563 ◽  
Author(s):  
Russell T. Turner ◽  
Kathleen S. Hannon ◽  
Laurence M. Demers ◽  
James Buchanan ◽  
Norman H. Bell

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