Effect of different gonadal states on the forskolin stimulated adenylate cyclase activity in rat brain.

Forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity, measured in the hypothalamus and cerebral cortex differs in male and female rats. The gonadal steroid treatment performed induced changes in the studied adenylate cyclase activity probably in relation to the sex of the animals. The stimulated-forskolin adenylate cyclase activity in the hypothalamus from orchidectomized males showed more sensitivity than ovariectomized females. Finally, in male rats, the effects of castration on the hypothalamic enzymatic activity were partially restored by the administration of testosterone dipropionate. On the other hand, estradiol decreased the forskolin-adenylate cyclase activity in the female hypothalamus and cerebral cortex. The results show that the forskolin-stimulated adenylate cyclase activity may be related with the sex and/or the gonadal state of experimental animals.