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Early ovarian follicular development in prepubertal Wistar rats acutely exposed to androgens

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 June 2016

L. Paixão ,
L. M. Velez ,
B. R. Santos ,
C. Tusset ,
S. B. Lecke ,
A. B. Motta  and
P. M. Spritzer
L. Paixão
Affiliation:
Gynecological Endocrinology Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
L. M. Velez
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Fisio-patología Ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
B. R. Santos
Affiliation:
Gynecological Endocrinology Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
C. Tusset
Affiliation:
Gynecological Endocrinology Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
S. B. Lecke
Affiliation:
Gynecological Endocrinology Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil Department of Diagnostic Methods, Federal University of Health Sciences of Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil
A. B. Motta
Affiliation:
Laboratorio de Fisio-patología Ovárica, Centro de Estudios Farmacológicos y Botánicos, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
P. M. Spritzer*
Affiliation:
Gynecological Endocrinology Unit, Division of Endocrinology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil Laboratory of Molecular Endocrinology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
*
*Address for correspondence: P. M. Spritzer, Division of Endocrinology, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, 90035 003, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. (Email [email protected])
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Abstract

Androgens may directly modulate early ovarian follicular development in preantral stages and androgen excess before puberty may disrupt this physiological process. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the dynamics of follicular morphology and circulating androgen and estradiol levels in prepubertal Wistar rats acutely exposed to androgens. Prepubertal female Wistar rats were distributed into three groups: control, equine chorionic gonadotropin (eCG) intervention and eCG plus dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) intervention (eCG+DHEA). Serum DHEA, testosterone and estradiol levels were determined, and ovarian morphology and morphometry were assessed. The eCG+DHEA group presented increased serum estradiol and testosterone levels as compared with the control group (P<0.01), and higher serum DHEA concentration v. the eCG-only and control groups (P<0.01). In addition, the eCG+DHEA group had a higher number of, and larger-sized, primary and secondary follicles as compared with the control group (P<0.05). The eCG group presented intermediate values for number and size of primary and secondary follicles, without significant differences as compared with the other two groups. The number of antral follicles was higher in the eCG+DHEA and eCG groups v. controls (P<0.05). The number of primordial, atretic and cystic follicles were similar in all groups. In conclusion, the present experimental model using an acute eCG+DHEA intervention was useful to investigate events involved in initial follicular development under hyperandrogenic conditions, and could provide a reliable tool to study defective follicular development with possible deleterious reproductive consequences later in life.

Keywords

dehydroepiandrosteronefollicular developmenthyperandrogenismPCOSrat ovary
Type
Original Article
Information
Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease , Volume 7 , Issue 4 , August 2016 , pp. 384 - 390
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Copyright
© Cambridge University Press and the International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease 2016 

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