Reproductive ability of pubertal male and female rats
Ten Fisher rats 50 to 55 days of age made up the pubertal group, and ten rats 90 to 95 days of age served as the controls. The testicular and epididymal weights and volumes of the pubertal males were lower than those of the controls (P<0.001). There was also a difference in relative epididymal we...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica
2003-07-01
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| Series: | Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2003000700007 |
| _version_ | 1818990967559028736 |
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| author | T. Zemunik M. Peruzovic V. Capkun L. Zekan S. Tomic K. Milkovic |
| author_facet | T. Zemunik M. Peruzovic V. Capkun L. Zekan S. Tomic K. Milkovic |
| author_sort | T. Zemunik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Ten Fisher rats 50 to 55 days of age made up the pubertal group, and ten rats 90 to 95 days of age served as the controls. The testicular and epididymal weights and volumes of the pubertal males were lower than those of the controls (P<0.001). There was also a difference in relative epididymal weight (P<0.001). The sperm of pubertal males was morphologically abnormal in 58.2% of cases, as opposed to only 3.8% in the controls (P<0.001). The mean number of spermatozoa in the control group was 11.9 × 10(6)/ml and their viability was 99.6%, while these values could not be determined for pubertal rats. Serum testosterone was higher in the pubertal animals than in the controls (2.52 ± 1.46 vs 0.92 ± 0.34 nM, P<0.01). The ovaries of control females were heavier than those of pubertal females (P<0.001) but there was no difference in their relative weights. Serum estradiol was similar in both groups (75.5 ± 12.8 vs 81.8 ± 14.7 nM, P>0.05). At the beginning of gestation, the pubertal dams weighed less than the controls (P<0.001) but following uterectomy the body weights were equal. Pubertal dams delivered fewer pups than the controls (8.1 ± 2.5 vs 10.4 ± 1.3, P<0.05). There was no difference in the body weights of their offspring or in the weights of their placentas. The results suggest that, in contrast to their female counterparts, pubertal male rats are not fully mature and have not reached complete reproductive capacity at 50-55 days of age. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-20T20:02:47Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-0d5e9253b00c492e87171a8321abb971 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 0100-879X 1414-431X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-20T20:02:47Z |
| publishDate | 2003-07-01 |
| publisher | Associação Brasileira de Divulgação Científica |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research |
| spelling | doaj.art-0d5e9253b00c492e87171a8321abb9712022-12-21T19:28:01ZengAssociação Brasileira de Divulgação CientíficaBrazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research0100-879X1414-431X2003-07-0136787187710.1590/S0100-879X2003000700007Reproductive ability of pubertal male and female ratsT. ZemunikM. PeruzovicV. CapkunL. ZekanS. TomicK. MilkovicTen Fisher rats 50 to 55 days of age made up the pubertal group, and ten rats 90 to 95 days of age served as the controls. The testicular and epididymal weights and volumes of the pubertal males were lower than those of the controls (P<0.001). There was also a difference in relative epididymal weight (P<0.001). The sperm of pubertal males was morphologically abnormal in 58.2% of cases, as opposed to only 3.8% in the controls (P<0.001). The mean number of spermatozoa in the control group was 11.9 × 10(6)/ml and their viability was 99.6%, while these values could not be determined for pubertal rats. Serum testosterone was higher in the pubertal animals than in the controls (2.52 ± 1.46 vs 0.92 ± 0.34 nM, P<0.01). The ovaries of control females were heavier than those of pubertal females (P<0.001) but there was no difference in their relative weights. Serum estradiol was similar in both groups (75.5 ± 12.8 vs 81.8 ± 14.7 nM, P>0.05). At the beginning of gestation, the pubertal dams weighed less than the controls (P<0.001) but following uterectomy the body weights were equal. Pubertal dams delivered fewer pups than the controls (8.1 ± 2.5 vs 10.4 ± 1.3, P<0.05). There was no difference in the body weights of their offspring or in the weights of their placentas. The results suggest that, in contrast to their female counterparts, pubertal male rats are not fully mature and have not reached complete reproductive capacity at 50-55 days of age.http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2003000700007PubertyReproductionGonadsSex hormonesPregnancy |
| spellingShingle | T. Zemunik M. Peruzovic V. Capkun L. Zekan S. Tomic K. Milkovic Reproductive ability of pubertal male and female rats Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research Puberty Reproduction Gonads Sex hormones Pregnancy |
| title | Reproductive ability of pubertal male and female rats |
| title_full | Reproductive ability of pubertal male and female rats |
| title_fullStr | Reproductive ability of pubertal male and female rats |
| title_full_unstemmed | Reproductive ability of pubertal male and female rats |
| title_short | Reproductive ability of pubertal male and female rats |
| title_sort | reproductive ability of pubertal male and female rats |
| topic | Puberty Reproduction Gonads Sex hormones Pregnancy |
| url | http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S0100-879X2003000700007 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT tzemunik reproductiveabilityofpubertalmaleandfemalerats AT mperuzovic reproductiveabilityofpubertalmaleandfemalerats AT vcapkun reproductiveabilityofpubertalmaleandfemalerats AT lzekan reproductiveabilityofpubertalmaleandfemalerats AT stomic reproductiveabilityofpubertalmaleandfemalerats AT kmilkovic reproductiveabilityofpubertalmaleandfemalerats |