HORMONES
AND
BEHAVIOR
9, 57-68 (1977)
Action of Androgen and Estrone Implants on Sexual Behavior and Reproductive Organs of Castrated Male Rabbits R. H. FOOTE, P. J. DRADDY, M. BREITE, AND E. A. B. OLTENACU Depurtment
of‘ Animal Science crnd Division of Biological Cornell University, Ithaca, NPI 0.05). Large differences in accessory sex gland weights were found. The dry weights may be more meaningful because of the possible loss of fluids during removal of the glands. Castrate males had significantly smaller glands on both a wet and dry basis than did intact controls, and most implants had a replacement or stimulatory effect (Table 1). The wet and dry weights of the glands of the DHT-treated groups were the smallest of all implanted groups. Surprisingly, E, was very stimulatory, and, when it was combined with either T or DHT, the glands showed significant enlargement over all groups (P < 0.01). This may have been partially an additive dose effect. Penis weights paralleled the other treatment effects. Only the castrates had smaller penes than did intact controls. The weight loss of hormones from the implants during the experiment represented a daily release rate of 0.18 mg of T, 0.14 mg of DHT, and 0.016 mg of E,. Only a small portion of the encapsulated steroids was released during the experiment. In unpublished experiments, we have found the daily release rate not to be greatly diminished over longer periods of time. Estrone release was higher than had been calculated. Although lower than T or DHT in absolute quantities of hormone released, the level may have been high relative to physiological concentration. There were 11.52attempts to collect semen during the experiments. Castrated males without implants seldom ejaculated or produced appreciable fluid in the ejaculate. A summary of ejaculate volume for males in other groups is given in Table 2. The E,-treated group produced the largest volume of semen, but, when estrone was combined with DHT or T, the volume was smaller, although the accessory sex glands were enlarged. For brevity, behavioral responses were averaged by 4-week time periods (Table 3) for the time to first mount and time to ejaculation for both first and second ejaculations. Essentially, time to ejaculation also represents time to intromission in rabbits. The weekly trends in times to the first mount and to the first ejaculation are depicted in Figs. I and 2.
at _
(T)
1850 * 1833 ?
(P)
F test over
52 63
n Tabular values in the same column b Dry weights were obtained because vesicular glands.
all treatments
95
+ II4 2 88 + 92 2 96 2 107
Castrates only Immediate Delayed
1871 1808 1854 1686 1827
1776 ?
(intact)
Controls
Castrates plus Testosterone Estrone (E,) DHT T + E, DHT + E,
Initial
Body
60
of Castrated
+ 2 k + f 2 3 I I I
>0.05
24 + 2 26 + I
20 21 23 21 20
16 2 4
(mg)
0.24 0.30
with
-c 0.02’ k 0.06’
0.078 ,128 0.12BJ 0.20A 0.25”
2 0.138 2 * t ? *
Hormones
+ 0.04’,”
wt
for
Eight
0.049 0.056
AND
BEHAVIOR
9, 57-68 (1977)
Action of Androgen and Estrone Implants on Sexual Behavior and Reproductive Organs of Castrated Male Rabbits R. H. FOOTE, P. J. DRADDY, M. BREITE, AND E. A. B. OLTENACU Depurtment
of‘ Animal Science crnd Division of Biological Cornell University, Ithaca, NPI 0.05). Large differences in accessory sex gland weights were found. The dry weights may be more meaningful because of the possible loss of fluids during removal of the glands. Castrate males had significantly smaller glands on both a wet and dry basis than did intact controls, and most implants had a replacement or stimulatory effect (Table 1). The wet and dry weights of the glands of the DHT-treated groups were the smallest of all implanted groups. Surprisingly, E, was very stimulatory, and, when it was combined with either T or DHT, the glands showed significant enlargement over all groups (P < 0.01). This may have been partially an additive dose effect. Penis weights paralleled the other treatment effects. Only the castrates had smaller penes than did intact controls. The weight loss of hormones from the implants during the experiment represented a daily release rate of 0.18 mg of T, 0.14 mg of DHT, and 0.016 mg of E,. Only a small portion of the encapsulated steroids was released during the experiment. In unpublished experiments, we have found the daily release rate not to be greatly diminished over longer periods of time. Estrone release was higher than had been calculated. Although lower than T or DHT in absolute quantities of hormone released, the level may have been high relative to physiological concentration. There were 11.52attempts to collect semen during the experiments. Castrated males without implants seldom ejaculated or produced appreciable fluid in the ejaculate. A summary of ejaculate volume for males in other groups is given in Table 2. The E,-treated group produced the largest volume of semen, but, when estrone was combined with DHT or T, the volume was smaller, although the accessory sex glands were enlarged. For brevity, behavioral responses were averaged by 4-week time periods (Table 3) for the time to first mount and time to ejaculation for both first and second ejaculations. Essentially, time to ejaculation also represents time to intromission in rabbits. The weekly trends in times to the first mount and to the first ejaculation are depicted in Figs. I and 2.
at _
(T)
1850 * 1833 ?
(P)
F test over
52 63
n Tabular values in the same column b Dry weights were obtained because vesicular glands.
all treatments
95
+ II4 2 88 + 92 2 96 2 107
Castrates only Immediate Delayed
1871 1808 1854 1686 1827
1776 ?
(intact)
Controls
Castrates plus Testosterone Estrone (E,) DHT T + E, DHT + E,
Initial
Body
60
of Castrated
+ 2 k + f 2 3 I I I
>0.05
24 + 2 26 + I
20 21 23 21 20
16 2 4
(mg)
0.24 0.30
with
-c 0.02’ k 0.06’
0.078 ,128 0.12BJ 0.20A 0.25”
2 0.138 2 * t ? *
Hormones
+ 0.04’,”
wt
for
Eight
0.049 0.056
