Hormonal control of calcium ingestion: The effects of neonatal manipulations of the gonadal steroids both during and after critical stages in development on the calcium ingestion of male and female rats

Abstract

Female rats ingest greater amounts of calcium than do their male counterparts. We inquired into the endocrine regulation of this phenomenon. We replicated our earlier findings that virgin mature females ingest more calcium than males do. We also found that neonatal gonadectomy (1 day) during critical stages in development, but not after (30 days), resulted in female rats’ decreasing their calcium ingestion when tested when mature. We found that neonatal gonadectomy in males resulted in increased calcium ingestion behavior. Taken in conjunction with our earlier results, which showed that adult gonadectomy (60 days) had no effect on calcium ingestion, these results demonstrate that neonatal circulation of gonadal steroids induce organizational changes in the brain to alter calcium ingestion.