Plasma testosterone levels in adult and neonatal female rats bearing testosterone propionate-filled silicone elastomer capsules for varying periods of time

1983 ◽  
Vol 98 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-371 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. M. Sommerville ◽  
M. F. Tarttelin

Testosterone propionate (TP) was administered, by means of subcutaneous implanted silicone elastomer capsules, into adult and neonatal (aged 3 days) female rats. In the adult rats a dose-dependent increase in plasma testosterone was measured for capsules of three different sizes (5, 10 and 20 mm crystal length). Testosterone levels reached a peak 4–8 h after insertion (5 mm, 24·6±1·4 (s.e.m.) nmol/l; 10 mm, 34·0 ± 3±8; 20 mm, 44·4 ± 3·1) and returned to control levels within 4 h after removal: the calculated half-life of testosterone was 1 h for all sizes of capsule. In neonates, a capsule of 2·5 mm crystal length was removed after 4 h subcutaneous implantation (at day 3 of age) and produced peak testosterone levels of 126·2± 11·8 nmol/l: the calculated half-life was 8·6 h which compared with a half-life of 48 h after a subcutaneous injection of 312 μmol TP (in 0·05 ml arachis oil) which produced peak levels of testosterone in 4–8 h of 84·6 ±11·8 nmol/l. Chronic implants of TP-filled capsules (2·5 mm crystal length) at 3 days of age and left in situ for 15 weeks gave a half-life of 69 h. Removable silicone elastomer capsules were found to be a versatile vehicle for the administration of TP to rats of all ages where precise hormone treatment for a known period or prolonged administration is required. The duration and magnitude of plasma hormone levels should be established by assay in an in-vivo situation.

2012 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 53-64 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joanna M Day ◽  
Paul A Foster ◽  
Helena J Tutill ◽  
Fabien Schmidlin ◽  
Christopher M Sharland ◽  
...  

17β-Hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (17β-HSDs) catalyse the 17-position reduction/oxidation of steroids. 17β-HSD type 3 (17β-HSD3) catalyses the reduction of the weakly androgenic androstenedione (adione) to testosterone, suggesting that specific inhibitors of 17β-HSD3 may have a role in the treatment of hormone-dependent prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia. STX2171 is a novel selective non-steroidal 17β-HSD3 inhibitor with an IC50 of ∼200 nM in a whole-cell assay. It inhibits adione-stimulated proliferation of 17β-HSD3-expressing androgen receptor-positive LNCaP(HSD3) prostate cancer cells in vitro. An androgen-stimulated LNCaP(HSD3) xenograft proof-of-concept model was developed to study the efficacies of STX2171 and a more established 17β-HSD3 inhibitor, STX1383 (SCH-451659, Schering-Plough), in vivo. Castrated male MF-1 mice were inoculated s.c. with 1×107 cells 24 h after an initial daily dose of testosterone propionate (TP) or vehicle. After 4 weeks, tumours had not developed in vehicle-dosed mice, but were present in 50% of those mice given TP. One week after switching the stimulus to adione, mice were dosed additionally with the vehicle or inhibitor for a further 4 weeks. Both TP and adione efficiently stimulated tumour growth and increased plasma testosterone levels; however, in the presence of either 17β-HSD3 inhibitor, adione-dependent tumour growth was significantly inhibited and plasma testosterone levels reduced. Mouse body weights were unaffected. Both inhibitors also significantly lowered plasma testosterone levels in intact mice. In conclusion, STX2171 and STX1383 significantly lower plasma testosterone levels and inhibit androgen-dependent tumour growth in vivo, indicating that 17β-HSD3 inhibitors may have application in the treatment of hormone-dependent prostate cancer.


1975 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
pp. 71-79 ◽  
Author(s):  
P. DE MOOR ◽  
M. ADAM-HEYLEN ◽  
H. VAN BAELEN ◽  
G. VERHOEVEN

SUMMARY Adult rats of both sexes were either gonadectomized or hypophysectomized and gonadectomized. Three to eight weeks later they were treated for 14 consecutive days with oil or with 75 or 200 μg testosterone propionate (TP) per 100 g body weight. The animals were killed and for each sex the gonadectomized animals were compared with the hypophysectomized-gonadectomized animals as far as their NADPH- and NADH-dependent 3α-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenases (3α-HSD) in renal microsomes, transcortin levels in serum and five organ weights relative to total body weight were concerned. For two of the latter, i.e. the relative kidney and prostatic weights, no significant differences were found. Transcortin levels, relative adrenal weights and renal NADPH-dependent 3α-HSD activities were higher in oil-treated gonadectomized animals than in oil-treated hypophysectomized-gonadectomized animals. The opposite was found for the relative weights of uterus and seminal vesicles and renal NADH-dependent 3α-HSD activities. These differences between gonadectomized and hypophysectomized-gonadectomized animals disappeared after TP treatment as far as transcortin levels were concerned but remained for the five other parameters. After gonadectomy sexual differences subsisted for all parameters studied. But whereas intact male rats had higher NADH-dependent 3α-HSD activities than female rats the opposite was found after gonadectomy. After gonadectomy plus hypophysectomy the between sex differences disappeared as far as transcortin levels were concerned but remained in the other parameters studied.


1992 ◽  
Vol 262 (1) ◽  
pp. E1-E5 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. G. Baillie ◽  
P. J. Garlick

One-year-old adult female rats were fasted for 12 or 36 h followed by a 30-min infusion of insulin. The responses of the fractional rate of protein synthesis (Ks) in the individual muscles (measured in vivo) to fasting were small and mostly nonsignificant. After 12 h of fasting, only the epitrochlearis muscle (ET) showed a significant decrease in Ks, and, even after 36 h of fasting, a significant decrease in Ks was seen in only ET, extensor digitorum longus, and tensor fasciae latae (TFL). After the 36-h fast, infusion of insulin restored the fed Ks in all muscles except TFL. The fiber-type composition of the individual muscles appeared to influence the muscles' responsiveness to the fasting, since the highly glycolytic TFL was the most sensitive (particularly after 36 h of fasting), whereas the highly oxidative adductor longus and soleus muscles were unaffected by either fasting or insulin. In a second experiment, refeeding of fasted adult rats also had little effect on Ks, consistent with the low sensitivity to fasting shown by the first experiment. The parallel results in the two experiments confirmed that the low responsiveness to fasting and insulin infusion in these adult rats was not a result of failure to absorb in “fed” animals or insufficient levels of insulin during insulin infusions. In contrast, a third experiment showed that muscle protein synthesis in the gastrocnemius muscle from young adult (5-mo-old) female rats was significantly reduced after only 12 h of fasting.


1974 ◽  
Vol 61 (2) ◽  
pp. 193-198 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. EL SAFOURY ◽  
A. BARTKE

SUMMARY The effects of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) on plasma testosterone levels were examined in hypophysectomized and in intact immature and adult male rats. The animals were injected with saline, LH, FSH, or both gonadotrophins twice daily for 3·5 days and were killed 3 h after the last injection. Plasma testosterone levels were measured by radioimmunoassay. In immature hypophysectomized rats, plasma testosterone levels were not changed by treatment with LH, FSH or LH plus FSH. The weight of the testes and of the seminal vesicles was increased only in animals injected with both LH and FSH. In adult hypophysectomized rats, LH caused the expected increase in plasma testosterone levels, while FSH injected alone had no effect. Plasma testosterone levels in rats treated with 5 μg LH and 20 μg FSH were significantly greater than those in animals given 5 μg LH alone. However, the same dose of FSH did not potentiate the action of 25 μg LH on plasma testosterone levels. In adult hypophysectomized rats the weight of testes was not affected by any of the treatments. The weight of the seminal vesicles was increased by the higher dose of LH and addition of FSH caused no further increase. In intact immature and adult rats plasma testosterone levels and the weight of testes were not changed by any of the treatments. Seminal vesicle weight was increased only in adult rats treated with the higher dose of LH together with FSH. The results demonstrate that FSH potentiates the action of low doses of LH on plasma testosterone levels in adult hypophysectomized rats and suggest that FSH may be involved in the regulation of androgen secretion by the rat testis.


1983 ◽  
Vol 96 (2) ◽  
pp. 259-267 ◽  
Author(s):  
B. Gillham ◽  
J. S. M. Hutchinson ◽  
M. B. Thorn

The concentration of cytochrome P-450 in microsomes prepared from the livers of mature female Wistar-derived rats was significantly lower than in mature males. This sex difference was abolished after hypophysectomy, when the concentration of the cytochrome in males and females was not significantly different from that in the intact male. A concentration of cytochrome P-450 characteristic of females was restored by two anterior pituitary transplants under the kidney capsule of hypophysectomized females; a partial 'feminization' occurred in similarly treated hypophysectomized males. A partial 'feminization' was also achieved by the administration of rat or sheep prolactin to hypophysectomized females. Unexpectedly, the administration of l-dihydroxyphenylalanine to normal females was without effect on cytochrome P-450, whereas in intact males 'feminization' resulted. Castration of adult rats resulted in the 'feminization' of cytochrome P-450, whereas ovariectomy was without effect. Administration of testosterone propionate for 10 days, either immediately after the operation or 14 weeks later to rats castrated when adult failed, however, to reverse the fall in cytochrome P-450. The establishment of a higher concentration of cytochrome P-450 in the liver of female rats could not be brought about by the administration of testosterone propionate, whether given as a single dose on the second day after birth or as a 10-day course of treatment after puberty or both. It is concluded that the sex difference in hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 is maintained by the release in the female of an anterior pituitary factor(s) that serves to depress its concentration. The factor(s) shows some of the characteristics of prolactin but the findings are not consistent with that hormone being responsible for all of the effects observed. The release of the factor(s) in the male may be inhibited by a compound of gonadal origin other than testosterone. A sex difference could not be 'imprinted' in the female by either neonatal and/or postpubertal testosterone treatment. The concentration of hepatic microsomal cytochrome b5 and the specific activity of NADPH-cytochrome c reductase were found not to be sex-dependent in the rats used. However, anterior pituitary factor(s) other than prolactin and growth hormone act to suppress partially the concentration of the former and to promote the specific activity of the latter in the endoplasmic reticulum of rat hepatocytes.


1962 ◽  
Vol 41 (3) ◽  
pp. 400-406 ◽  
Author(s):  
Virendra B. Mahesh ◽  
Robert B. Greenblatt

ABSTRACT Plasma testosterone levels were measured by the method of Finkelstein et al. (1961) before and after oral administration of dehydroepiandrosterone and Δ4-androstenedione in normal women. The results suggest in vivo conversion of dehydroepiandrosterone and Δ4-androstenedione to testosterone. The implications of these findings are discussed.


1981 ◽  
Vol 241 (3) ◽  
pp. E221-E225 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. Taya ◽  
G. S. Greenwald

Thirty-day-old rats given a single subcutaneous injection of 5 IU pregnant mare serum gonadotropin (PMS) at 0900 h ovulated on the morning of day 33 (= estrus). However, the second ovulation did not occur until 9.4 days later. To determine the mechanism responsible for the delay in the second ovulation, in vivo and in vitro determinations of steroid and peptide hormones were compared between PMS-primed immature rats and adult cyclic rats. In PMS-primed rats, the corpora lutea (CL) produced progesterone for 2 days longer (until day 36) than the CL of the adult rat. Serum levels of 20 alpha-dihydroprogesterone, testosterone, and estradiol in PMS-primed rats were significantly lower than the corresponding values in adult rats. Serum LH was consistently lower in the PMS-primed rats. An increase in serum FSH occurred on days 36–37, which may be responsible for maturation of the follicles destined to ovulate at the second ovulation. On day 37, the nonluteal ovary of the PMS-primed rats also began to produce in vitro appreciable amounts of testosterone and estradiol. These findings suggest that the greater levels of prolactin and/or low levels of luteinizing hormone during estrus in PMS-primed rats may be responsible for the prolonged secretion of progesterone by the CL. This in turn inhibits follicular maturation, indirectly by lowering serum LH, which is reflected in reduced ability of the follicles in vitro to produce testosterone and estradiol until the CL regress.


1992 ◽  
Vol 1 (3) ◽  
pp. 37-56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Leonard Friedman ◽  
John Scalera ◽  
James E. Keys ◽  
Edmund L. Peters ◽  
Dennis W. Gaines ◽  
...  

The effects of 2-chioroethanol (2-CE) on rat tissue following in vitro and in vivo exposure were studied. At concentrations as low as 2.5 mg/ml, protein synthesis in liver slices was inhibited; at concentrations of 25 mg/ml and above, RNA synthesis and respiration were also impaired. Single oral doses of 2-CE to young adult rats at levels of 15-40 mg/kg body weight depressed liver nonprotein sulfhydryl (GSH) concentration and liver protein but not RNA synthesis. Liver lipid was increased by 7 hr after a single oral dose of 30 mg/kg. The time courses and dose-response relationship for GSH depletion and restoration and for protein synthesis inhibition and recovery were similar. The livers of female rats were more sensitive than the livers of male rats to the effects of 2-CE. Protein synthesis was also depressed in kidneys of 2-CE-treated male rats but at higher doses than those needed for this effect to occur in livers of the same animals. Liver polysome disaggregation also occurred after oral 2-CE doses of 20 mg/kg and greater. The effects of 2-CE on ribosome profiles and protein synthesis were at least partially reversed by concurrent intraperitoneal administration of cysteine. The possible relationship of these findings to a role of GSH in protein synthesis is discussed.


2011 ◽  
Vol 301 (5) ◽  
pp. L804-L811 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edgar E. Kooijman ◽  
Stephanie R. Kuzenko ◽  
Denghuang Gong ◽  
Michael D. Best ◽  
Hans G. Folkesson

Cell membrane phospholipids, like phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate [PI( 4 , 5 )P2], can regulate epithelial Na channel (ENaC) activity. Gender differences in lung ENaC expression have also been demonstrated. However, the effects in vivo on alveolar fluid clearance are uncertain. Thus PI( 4 , 5 )P2 effects on alveolar fluid clearance were studied in male and female rats. An isosmolar 5% albumin solution was intrapulmonary instilled; alveolar fluid clearance was studied for 1 h. Female rats had a 37 ± 19% higher baseline alveolar fluid clearance than male rats. Bilateral ovariectomy attenuated this gender difference. Compared with controls, PI( 4 , 5 )P2 instillation (300 μM) increased alveolar fluid clearance by ∼93% in both genders. Amiloride or the specific αENaC small-interfering RNA inhibited baseline and PI( 4 , 5 )P2-stimulated alveolar fluid clearance in both genders, indicating a dependence on amiloride-sensitive pathways. The fraction of amiloride inhibition was greater in PI( 4 , 5 )P2-instilled rats (male: 64 ± 10%; female: 70 ± 11%) than in controls (male: 30 ± 6%; female: 44 ± 8%). PI( 4 , 5 )P2 instillation lacked additional alveolar fluid clearance stimulation above that of terbutaline, nor did propranolol inhibit alveolar fluid clearance after PI( 4 , 5 )P2 instillation, indicating that PI( 4 , 5 )P2 stimulation was not secondary to endogenous β-adrenoceptor activation. PI( 4 , 5 )P2 amine instillation resulted in an intermediate alveolar fluid clearance stimulation, suggesting that, to reach maximal alveolar fluid clearance stimulation, PI( 4 , 5 )P2 must reside in cell membranes. In summary, PI( 4 , 5 )P2 instillation upregulated in vivo alveolar fluid clearance similar to short-term β-adrenoceptor upregulation of alveolar fluid clearance. PI( 4 , 5 )P2 stimulation was mediated partly by increased amiloride-sensitive Na transport. There exist important gender-related effects suggesting a female advantage that may have clinical implications for resolution of acute lung injury.


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