Pereira Oduvaldo C M, Arena Arielle C, Yasuhara Fabiana, Kempinas Wilma G
Department of Pharmacology, Institute of Biosciences, Sao Paulo State University-UNESP, 18618-000 Botucatu, SP, Brazil.
Regul Toxicol Pharmacol. 2003 Aug;38(1):36-42. doi: 10.1016/s0273-2300(03)00046-1.
The aim of the present study was to investigate the effects of hydrocortisone during the prenatal period and its later repercussions on the fertility and sexual behavior of male rats. Pregnant rats were treated (s.c.) with hydrocortisone acetate, at 1.5 mg/day on the 17th, 18th, and 19th days of gestation. Decreased body weight and no alteration in anogenital distance were observed in male offspring. Adulthood, presented reductions of body weight, plasma testosterone levels, and seminal-vesicle wet weight without secretion as well as no alteration in the wet weights of the testes, epididymis, and seminal vesicle with secretion in the treated group. Males exposed to hydrocortisone during the prenatal period were able to mate with normal females, which became pregnant but exhibited an increased number of post-implantation losses. In spite of this, these treated males exhibited decreased male sexual behavior and the appearance of female sexual behavior after these male rats were castrated and pretreated with exogenous estrogen. These results indicate that exposure to hydrocortisone in the later stages of pregnancy may have a long-term effect on the fertility and sexual behavior of male rats, suggesting an incomplete masculinization and defeminization of the central nervous system.
本研究的目的是调查孕期氢化可的松的影响及其对雄性大鼠生育能力和性行为的后续影响。妊娠大鼠在妊娠第17、18和19天接受醋酸氢化可的松皮下注射，剂量为1.5毫克/天。在雄性后代中观察到体重下降，但肛门生殖器距离无变化。成年后，治疗组体重、血浆睾酮水平和无分泌的精囊湿重降低，而睾丸、附睾和有分泌的精囊湿重无变化。孕期接触氢化可的松的雄性能够与正常雌性交配，雌性交配后怀孕，但着床后损失数量增加。尽管如此，这些经过治疗的雄性在被阉割并预先给予外源性雌激素后，表现出雄性性行为减少和雌性性行为出现。这些结果表明，孕期后期接触氢化可的松可能对雄性大鼠的生育能力和性行为产生长期影响，提示中枢神经系统存在不完全的雄性化和去雌性化。
