Occurrence of permanent anovulation in mouse ovaries and permanent changes in the vaginal and uterine epithelia following neonatal treatment with large doses of 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone.

Female mice of the C57BL/Tw strain were injected daily with 1 microgram estradiol-17 beta (E2), 1 or t microgram testosterone (T) and 5 alpha-dihydrotestosterone (5 alpha-DHT), the dose being increased varying from 5 to 100 microgram for 5 days from the day of birth. These mice were ovariectomized at 90 days of age and kept for 50 days until sacrifice. Permanent-anovulatory ovaries were found in 30-40% of mice treated neonatally with large doses of 5 alpha-DHT. All of the E2-treated and 42% of the 5 microgram T-treated mice showed permanent anovulation in the ovaries at 90 days of age, while none of the 1 microgram T-treated mice had such anovulatory ovaries. Estrogen-independent, permanent vaginal changes occurred in mice receiving injections of 5 microgram T or 5-100 microgram 5 alpha-DHT, but not in those given the injections of 1 microgram T.