Neonatal testosterone potentiates stimulated prolactin secretion in adult oestrogen-primed rats.

Blood samples were collected from oestrogen-primed gonadectomized adult rats before and after electrical stimulation of the preoptic part of the hypothalamus. Six groups of rats were used for the experiments. These were (a) males castrated on the first day of life, (b) males castrated after puberty, (c) females ovariectomized after puberty and (d), (e) and (f) females given testosterone propionate at birth (1.25, 0.125 and 0.0125 mg/rat respectively). Neonatal exposure of the female rats to testosterone caused a dose-dependent increase in the amounts of prolactin released to levels significantly (P less than 0.01) higher than those observed in male animals and in untreated females. The results indicate that although neonatal testosterone inhibits oestrogen-stimulated prolactin secretion in adult rats, the neuroendocrine apparatus controlling secretion of the hormone is capable of being activated to greater effect after exposure to androgens at the time of birth.