[Effect of male and female hormones on the appearance and development of experimental 20-methylcholanthrene-induced tumors in young albino rats].

A review of the relevant literature is followed by an investigation of the effect of male and female hormones on the onset and growth of 20-methylcholanthrene induced tumours in approximately 15-day-old rats. The results indicated that oestrogens facilitate the onset of tumours in females, and hinder it in males, whereas testosterone provokes tumours in both males and females, contrary to what happens in the adult rat. It is felt that the latter finding can be ascribed to the fact that, since the transformation of oestradiol from testosterone usually takes place at 12 months (Di Prisco et al)., the antagonist effect between hormones of different sex which appears to oppose tumour growth had not yet occurred. This, then could be one of the reasons for carcinogenesis in female rats treated with testosterone, aided by hormonal stimulus of cell glycolysis.