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Daily GnRH agonist treatment effectively delayed puberty in female rats without long-term effects on sexual behavior or estrous cyclicity.
- Source :
-
Physiology & behavior [Physiol Behav] 2022 Oct 01; Vol. 254, pp. 113879. Date of Electronic Publication: 2022 Jun 12. - Publication Year :
- 2022
-
Abstract
- The present study examined the long-term effects of suppressing puberty with a GnRH agonist on reproductive physiology and behavior in female rats. We have recently reported that administration of the GnRH agonist leuprolide acetate (25 µg/kg) daily between postnatal day (PD) 25-50 delayed puberty and disrupted the development of copulatory behavior and sexual motivation in male rats. However, pilot data from our lab suggest that this low dose of leuprolide acetate (25 µg/kg) was not high enough to significantly delay puberty in female rats. Therefore, we injected female Long-Evans rats with leuprolide acetate at a higher dose (50 µg/kg) or 0.9% sterile saline, daily , starting on PD 25 and ending on PD 50. Vaginal opening was monitored daily starting on PD 30 for signs of pubertal onset and first estrous cycle. In addition, we measured estrous cyclicity starting approximately 2 weeks after the last injection of leuprolide (∼PD 64). Immediately after monitoring estrous cyclicity, the female rats were mated on their first day in behavioral estrus using the partner-preference paradigm, with and without physical contact (PD 95-110). We found that this dose of leuprolide (50 µg/kg) significantly delayed puberty; however, neither estrous cyclicity nor sexual motivation was significantly affected by periadolescent exposure to leuprolide. Together with our findings in male rats, these results add to our understanding of the developmental effects of chemically suppressing puberty in rats.<br /> (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Subjects :
- Animals
Estrus
Female
Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone agonists
Models, Animal
Periodicity
Rats
Rats, Long-Evans
Estrous Cycle drug effects
Estrous Cycle physiology
Fertility Agents, Female pharmacology
Leuprolide pharmacology
Sexual Behavior, Animal drug effects
Sexual Behavior, Animal physiology
Sexual Maturation drug effects
Sexual Maturation physiology
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 1873-507X
- Volume :
- 254
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- Physiology & behavior
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 35705155
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2022.113879