Further studies on the restoration of estrogen-induced sexual receptivity in ovariectomized mice treated with dihydrotestosterone: effects of progesterone, dihydroprogesterone and LH-RH.

Sexual receptivity in ovariectomized CD-1 mice induced by chronic daily injections of estradiol benzoate (E2B) was inhibited in a dose related fashion by daily injections of dihydrotestosterone (DHT) given concurrently with the E2B. Administration of the progestins, progesterone and dihydroprogesterone (DHP), and of the hypothalamic decapeptide, LH-RH, 6 hr prior to testing restored receptivity to varying degrees in these E2B + DHT treated mice. Of these treatments progesterone was clearly the most effective, followed by LH-RH and finally DHP in restoring estrogen-induced receptivity. Results were discussed in terms of a proposed essential role for LH-RH in the induction of sexual receptivity in mice.