Abstract
SUMMARY Long-term effects of prolonged sexual activity on plasma sex steroid levels and on hypothalamic testosterone (T) metabolism were studied by exposing male rats (Rattus norvegiens Berkenhout) to receptive females for 15 days, and by sacrificing the animals at 0, 10 and 30 days after withdrawal of the females. Compared to control males exposed to non- receptive females only, the experimental animals showed elevated plasma T and estradiol (E2) levels as a consequence of sexual activity. No effect was produced by sexual activity on the hypothalamic T metabolism or on the s-glucoronidase activity. Plasma T levels showed a tendency to decline over the 30 days period, while no group differences were observed in plasma E2 except that at day 0. Both groups, following withdrawal of receptive or non-receptive females, showed time, but not treatment, dependent changes in the metabolic pattern of T in the hypothalamus: conversion of T into estrogens, dihydrotestosterone (DHT) and androstenediol (A2). It was con...
Published Version
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