The effect of intrauterine injection of androgen on reproductive system and hormonal changes in adult female rat's offspring

Hormonal disturbances in critical periods of fetal development can lead to changes in the physiology or morphology of an organ. The aim of the present study was to examine reproductive system in female rats exposed to a single dose of testosterone in one of their last fetal development days.

Testosterone (20 mg in 1 ml solvent) was subcutaneously injected to pregnant rats on gestational day 20. Control group received the solvent. Body weights of female offspring were measured at birth, at days of 15, 30, 45 and 60 of age and in adulthood, ano-genital distance (AGD) was determined at days of 6, 30 and 60 of age. Hormones and morphology of reproductive system and ovary tissue were examined in these offspring in adulthood. The comparison of two groups was performed using the Independent-sam ple student t-test.

In the offspring of experimental group, AGD, clitoris length, testosterone and LH concentrations were significantly increased but estradiol and anti-Mullerian hormone concentrations were significantly decreased (p<0.05). Moreover, the number of preantral and antral follicles was increased. However, the numbers of preovulatory follicles and corpora lutea were decreased but these changes were not significant statistically.

Exposure of female fetuses to a single dose of testosterone on day 20 of development leads to appearance of some developmental changes in external reproductive system and the appearance of disturbance in hormones secretion in adulthood.