Failure of 5 α -Dihydrotestosterone to Block Androgen Sterilization in the Female Rat

Summary

Female rats were injected subcutaneously with either 100 μg of testosterone propionate (TP), 100 μg of 5_α-dihy-drotestosterone (DHT), 100 μg of TP and 1.25 mg of DHT, or oil prior to 5 days of age. Percent estrous smears was significantly higher and ovarian weight was significantly lower in TP-injected rats in comparison to rats injected with oil or DHT. Injection of both DHT and TP failed to eradicate these changes. Thus, DHT did not produce the persistent estrus syndrome seen in the TP-injected rats and, furthermore, DHT did not prevent this action of TP upon the reproductive system.