Effects of neonatal exposure to progesterone on sexual behavior of male and female rats

Hull, Elaine M.

doi:10.1016/0031-9384(81)90166-9

Cited by 42 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 22 publications

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“…It is more likely that this defect is related to events that are programmed during neonatal life. These data are in agreement with those of Hull [1981] who has shown that neonatal expo sure to progesterone induces similar impairment of masculine behavior without affecting testis and accessory organ weights of males. Current notions about the sexual differentiation of the central nervous system in the rodent postulate that testosterone, acting during a transient neonatal period, induces masculinization at behavioral [Gorski, 1974], morpholog ical [Raisman and Field, 1973], and biochemical levels [Barraclough, 1979] , This critical period for sexual differentiation of the brain is close to birth probably starting during the last days of fetal life [Vom-Saal and Bronson, 1980;Gogan et al, 1981] when high levels of testosterone are present in the fetal circulation Pointis et al, 1980] .…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

“…The controversial association of synthetic progestins with possible problems during fetal and postnatal life [Suchowsky et al, 1967] has created new interest in the use of natural progesterone [Ferre et al, 1984], Although there is no clear evidence concerning the role of progesterone in the fetus [Farquharson et al, 1984], it has been hypothesized that circulat ing progesterone may serve as precursor for fetal adrenal [Diczfalusy, 1969] and gonadal steroidogenesis [Taylor et al, 1974], In the newborn, exogenous progesterone only induces slight changes in the development and function of the testis [Tapanainen et al, 1979] but is able to interfere with masculine differentiation [Hull, 1981]. Administration of pharmaco logical doses of progesterone (5-200 mg) to pregnant rats caused no abnor malities of both internal and external sex organs in the progeny [Revesz et al,I960], However, we recently reported that administration to pregnant mice of concentrations of progesterone, in the same range, reduces circu lating testosterone levels in the male fetuses [Pointis et al, 1984].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Effect of Natural Progesterone Treatment during Pregnancy on Fetal Testosterone and Sexual Behavior of the Male Offspring in the Mouse

Pointis¹,

Latreille²,

Mo³

et al. 1987

Dev Pharmacol Ther

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The effect of maternal exposure to progesterone upon the fetal pituitarygonadal axis and the sexual behavior of the male offspring of mice were studied. Daily injection of progesterone from days 14 to 16 of pregnancy reduced testosterone production in the fetus but caused a significant increase in circulating LH levels. Progesteroneexposed males showed no alteration in anogenital distance or in body weight at any time from birth to adulthood. At 80-90 days of age males from control and progesteroneexposed groups did not differ from each other in testis and seminal vesicle weights. However, in the latter group, there was a marked reduction in the percentage of males that displayed mount, intromission and ejaculation patterns. These findings indicate that in utero exposure to pharmacological doses of progesterone that do not cause abnormalities of male internal and external genitalia may interfere with masculine behavior in adulthood. This alteration could partially be due to diminished peripheral testosterone levels during the prenatal period.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 82%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effect of Natural Progesterone Treatment during Pregnancy on Fetal Testosterone and Sexual Behavior of the Male Offspring in the Mouse

Pointis¹,

Latreille²,

Mo³

et al. 1987

Dev Pharmacol Ther

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“…For example, as mentioned above, progesterone may provide protection against masculinizing effects of androgens [43][44][45][46].…”

Section: Specific Hormonesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Prenatal sex hormone effects on child and adult sex-typed behavior: methods and findings

Cohen-Bendahan

Beek

Berenbaum

2005

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

491

400

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There is now good evidence that human sex-typed behavior is influenced by sex hormones that are present during prenatal development, confirming studies in other mammalian species. Most of the evidence comes from clinical populations, in which prenatal hormone exposure is atypical for a person's sex, but there is increasing evidence from the normal population for the importance of prenatal hormones. In this paper, we briefly review the evidence, focusing attention on the methods used to study behavioral effects of prenatal hormones. We discuss the promises and pitfalls of various types of studies, including those using clinical populations (concentrating on those most commonly studied, congenital adrenal hyperplasia, androgen insensitivity syndrome, ablatio penis, and cloacal exstrophy), direct measures of hormones in the general population (assayed through umbilical cord blood, amniotic fluid, and maternal serum during pregnancy), and indirect measures of hormones in the general population (inferred from intrauterine position and biomarkers such as otoacoustic emissions, finger length ratios, and dermatoglyphic asymmetries). We conclude with suggestions for interpreting and conducting studies of the behavioral effects of prenatal hormones. q

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“…These include hypothalamic and preoptic regions involved in reproductive and neuroendocrine functions (Quadros et al, 2007), as well as regions not classically associated with reproduction, such as the thalamus, hippocampus, (Quadros et al, 2007) and neocortex (Shughrue et al, 1991;Kato et al, 1993;Lopez and Wagner, 2000;Wagner et al, 2001). Indeed, progesterone and its receptor have been implicated in the development of many forebrain systems, including the expression of neurotransmitter enzymes (Franz et al, 1978;Snyder et al, 1979), neuronal morphology (Menzies, 1982;Quadros et al, 2002a) as well as aggressive (Hull et al, 1980;Schneider et al, 2003) and sexual behavior (Hull, 1981;Weinstein et al, 1992;Phelps et al, 1998;Lonstein et al, 2001;Schneider et al, 2005).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Distribution of progesterone receptor immunoreactivity in the midbrain and hindbrain of postnatal rats

Quadros

Schlueter

Wagner

2008

Developmental Neurobiology

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Nuclear steroid hormone receptors are powerful transcription factors and therefore have the potential to influence and regulate fundamental processes of neural development. The expression of progesterone receptors (PR) has been described in the developing forebrain of rats and mice, and the mammalian brain may be exposed to significant amounts of progesterone, either from maternal sources and/or de novo synthesis of progesterone from cholesterol within the brain. The present study examined the distribution of PR immunoreactive (PRir) cells within the midbrain and hindbrain of postnatal rats. The results demonstrate that PR is transiently expressed within the first 2 weeks of life in specific motor, sensory and reticular core nuclei as well as within midbrain dopaminergic cell groups such as the substantia nigra and the ventral tegmental area. Additionally, robust PRir was observed in cells of the lower rhombic lip, a transient structure giving rise to precerebellar nuclei. These results suggest that progestins and progesterone receptors may play a fundamental role in the postnatal development of numerous midbrain and hindbrain nuclei, including some areas implicated in human disorders. Additionally, these findings contribute to the increasing evidence that steroid hormones and their receptors influence neural development in a wide range of brain areas, including many not typically associated with reproduction or neuroendocrine function.

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Effects of neonatal exposure to progesterone on sexual behavior of male and female rats

Cited by 42 publications

References 22 publications

Effect of Natural Progesterone Treatment during Pregnancy on Fetal Testosterone and Sexual Behavior of the Male Offspring in the Mouse

Effect of Natural Progesterone Treatment during Pregnancy on Fetal Testosterone and Sexual Behavior of the Male Offspring in the Mouse

Prenatal sex hormone effects on child and adult sex-typed behavior: methods and findings

Distribution of progesterone receptor immunoreactivity in the midbrain and hindbrain of postnatal rats

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