Neuroendocrine Effects of Perinatal Androgenization in the Male Ferret

Abstract

This chapter describes an experiment that was conducted to see whether (1) related annual fluctuations in testosterone secretion and the display of sexual behavior occur in male ferrets, and (2) the administration of androgen during perinatal life would, in any way, disrupt the male ferret's normal capacity to display annual reproductive cycles in adulthood. Reproductive function was studied for more than 2 consecutive years in 3 groups of male ferrets. One group received testosterone propionate (TP) both prenatally and on postnatal day 3; a second group received TP on postnatal day 3 only; and a control group received no hormone perinatally. Annual fluctuations in testicular size together with correlated changes in spermatogenesis, the concentration of testosterone in the blood and the incidence of neck grip, mount and pelvic thrusting behaviors occurred in all 3 groups, suggesting that there is no need for the level of testicular secretion of androgen to be particularly low during a critical perinatal period in order for annual reproductive cycles to occur in adulthood.