Abstract
Puberty in the male rat is a complex process that involves maturational changes in the hypothalamus, pituitary, testes, and secondary sexual organs and in their interrelationships. During the course of sexual maturation the negative feedback control systems for the gonadotropins become less responsive to testosterone while the testes become more responsive to LH. In the immature rat testosterone can potentiate the effect of LH--RH on pituitary LH release; this response is lost with sexual maturation. LH--RH sensitizes the mature male pituitary glands for subsequent LH--RH administration; this self-priming effect is not present in the immature rat. The responsiveness of the secondary organs to testosterone is also altered with age, as is the relative proportion of testosterone and androstendione secreted by the testes. Experiments designed to prevent or mimic the transition in testicular steroid secretion suggest that it may be a critical component of sexual maturation in the male rat. An elevation in androstendione appears to be capable of delaying the maturation of the LH negative feedback system, the prostate gland, and the LH--RH self-priming effect.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
