Effect of glucocorticoids injected into pregnant female mice and rats on weight of male sexual glands in adult offspring and testosterone level in fetus is genotype-dependent.

Injection of corticosterone into CBA/Lac, C57BL/6J and BALB/c mice, or hydrocortisone into aggressive and domesticated rats, on days 16 and 18 of pregnancy decreased the weight of sexual glands in adult male offspring of the C57BL/6J and domesticated mothers but increased these values in male offspring of the CBA/Lac and aggressive mothers. When injected into pregnant aggressive and domesticated rats, corticosterone affected testosterone levels in 21-day-old male fetuses. The changes were also genotype-dependent and followed the course of changes in the weight of the accessory sex glands in adults. It is suggested that glucocorticoids given during the prenatal period can affect plasma testosterone levels of male fetuses and the development of the sexual glands in a genotype-dependent manner.