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Horm Metab Res 2013; 45(08): 586-592
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1341434
Original Basic
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York

Long-term Effects of Perinatal Androgenization on Reproductive Parameters of Male Rat Offspring Androgenization and Male Rat Reproduction

M. T. Guerra
1   Graduate Program in Cell and Structural Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas – UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
,
J. E. Perobelli
1   Graduate Program in Cell and Structural Biology, Institute of Biology, State University of Campinas – UNICAMP, Campinas, SP, Brazil
,
M. Sanabria
2   Department of Morphology, Institute of Biosciences, UNESP – Univ Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil,
,
J. A. Anselmo-Franci
3   Department of Morphology, Stomatology and Physiology, School of Dentistry, University of São Paulo, USP – Ribeirão Preto, São Paulo, Brazil
,
W. De Grava Kempinas
2   Department of Morphology, Institute of Biosciences, UNESP – Univ Estadual Paulista, Botucatu, SP, Brazil,
› Author Affiliations
Further Information

Publication History

received 31 October 2012

accepted after second revision 28 February 2013

Publication Date:
02 April 2013 (online)

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Abstract

It is known that during sex differentiation, fetal androgens are critical determinants of the male phenotype. Although testosterone is necessary for normal development of male sexual behavior, perinatal androgen treatment can result in disruption of normal male sexual reproduction. Pregnant Wistar rats were administered either corn oil (vehicle) or testosterone propionate at 0.2 mg/kg from gestational day 12 until the end of lactation and the reproductive function of male offspring was evaluated at 90 (adulthood) and 270 (middle age) days of age. Perinatal androgenization in the rat provoked a reduction in sperm production and reserves in adulthood that did not affect fertility and did not persist at more advanced ages, as shown by the results at post-natal day 270. If perinatal androgenization promotes similar effects in humans of reproductive age, the results of the present work can impact male reproduction health, given the less efficient spermatogenesis and lower sperm reserves in the human epididymis, compared to rodents.

Key words

rat male offspring - perinatal androgenization - sperm counts - sexual behavior - fertility
 

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