It is Possible that Noradrenaline is the Biogenic Monoamine Responsible for Androgen-Dependent Sexual Brain Differentiation

Summary

The effect of neonatal testosterone propionate (TP) treatment and its combination with α-methyl-p-tyrosine (αMPT) on noradrenaline, dopamine and serotonin contents in the hypothalamus of 7-day-old female rats has been studied. The property of αMPT to prevent anovulatory sterility in neonatally androgenized rats earlier established by the authors is related to interfering with a rise of hypothalamic level of noradrenaline induced by TP in the early postnatal period. The experimental data give evidence against the participation of dopamine in sexual differentiation of the brain and indicate the secondary character of serotonin content changes in the hypothalamus in relation to the noradrenaline level. Hence, noradrenaline may participate in androgen-dependent sexual differentiation of the hypothalamus.