Decreased postnatal testosterone and corticosterone concentrations in rats following acute intermittent prenatal hypoxia without alterations in adult male sex behavior

摘要: The prenatal and postnatal testosterone surges in the male rat are associated with neurobehavioral sexual differentiation of brain. Both can be attenuated by maternal stress or other environmental factors that activate and/or fetal hypothalamic/pituitary/adrenal (HPA) axis during last week gestation. Since hypoxia is known to HPA axis, we studied its effect gestation on rat. We examined influence intermittent hypoxic exposure respect surge corticosterone levels, subsequent development adult reproductive nonreproductive sexually dimorphic behaviors. Plasma concentrations neonates were measured after acute, intermittent, (9% O2 6 h/day from Day 15 21 gestation). Relative normoxic controls, significantly surge. Postpartum plasma levels these animals also suppressed. In adulthood, prenatally exhibited normal masculine sex behavior. Lordosis behavior response estrogen progesterone priming was not different between treatment groups. Saccharin preference, a nonreproductive, behavior, influenced exposure. These results demonstrate acute attenuates However, this reduction failed result significant alterations expression related behaviors adulthood.