POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME (PCOS) is a common ovulatory disorder that affects 6-10% of women of reproductive age [1][2][3]. PCOS is diagnosed according to the Rotterdam criteria defined by the European Society for Human Reproduction and Embryology (ESHRE) and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM). The Rotterdam criteria include the following clinical and biochemical features and require the presence of at least two of three features: 1. oligo/or anovulation; 2. hyperandrogenism or hyperandrogenemia; 3. polycystic ovarian morphology (PCOM) [4].

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In male rats, immune stress in the early neonatal period delayed sexual maturation, reduced sexual behavior, suppressed the serum T concentration, and downregulated the hypothalamic mRNA expression levels of GnRH and the PR in adulthood. The delayed sexual maturation was presumed to have been caused by the reduction in the serum T concentration. However, the rats that experienced neonatal stress exhibited reduced sexual behavior irrespective of their serum T concentrations.

PurposeExposure to various stressors, including psychological, metabolic, and immune, in the perinatal period induces long‐lasting effects in physiological function and increase the risk of metabolic disorders in later life. In the present study, sexual maturation and sexual behavior were assessed in prenatally undernourished mature male rats.MethodsAll the pregnant rats were divided into the maternal normal nutrition (mNN) group and the maternal undernutrition (mUN) group. The mUN mothers received 50% of the amount of the daily food intake of the mNN mothers. Preputial separation and sexual behavior were observed in randomly selected pups of the mNN and mUN groups.ResultsThe body weight of the mothers was significantly lighter in the mUN group than in the mNN group. Similarly, the pups in the mUN group showed a significantly lower body weight than those in the mNN group from postnatal day (PND) 1 to PND 15. The preputial separation day was significantly delayed in the mUN group, compared to the mNN group. Sexual behavior did not show any significant difference between the two groups.ConclusionThese findings indicated that prenatal undernutrition delayed sexual maturation, but did not suppress sexual behavior, in mature male rats.

Purpose We studied the influence of psychological stress during the early neonatal period on sexual maturation and sexual behavior in rats. Methods Neonatal male and female rats were divided into control (C) and maternal separation (MS) groups (n = 20‐24 per group). The pups in the MS groups were placed in isolation cages for 240 minutes/d from postnatal days 2‐11. Vaginal opening (VO) in females and preputial separation (PS) in males (indicators of sexual maturation) were monitored, as was the estrous cycle in females. Thereafter, sexual behavior was monitored twice at 13 and 15 weeks of age. Results As for sexual maturation, the onset of PS occurred significantly earlier in the MS group than in the C group, whereas the onset of VO did not differ between the groups. The length of the estrous cycle did not differ between the groups. The frequencies of sexual behaviors did not differ between the groups in either sex. Conclusions In conclusion, early‐life psychological stress induced by MS advanced sexual maturation in male rats, whereas it did not affect sexual maturation in female rats. On the other hand, early‐life psychological stress might not affect sexual behavior in adulthood in either sex.