Effects of chronic DHEA treatment on central and peripheral reproductive parameters, the onset of vaginal opening and the estrous cycle in female rats

Abstract

The neonatal and/or prepubertal androgen milieu affects sexual maturation and reproductive function in adulthood. However, the effects of chronic dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) treatment on reproductive functions have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, the reproductive phenotypes and parameters of rats that had been subjected to chronic DHEA treatment were evaluated in this study. The chronic DHEA-treated (from postnatal day 23–12 weeks of age) rats exhibited earlier vaginal opening, indicating that DHEA treatment promotes sexual maturation. In addition, the estrus phase lasted longer in the DHEA-treated rats, suggesting that their estrous cycles had been disrupted. As the DHEA-treated rats’ serum luteinizing hormone levels and hypothalamic Kiss1 mRNA expression levels were decreased and their uterine weight was increased, DHEA and/or estrogen might directly affect reproductive phenotypes. While DHEA treatment caused changes in body weight and body composition in chronic testosterone-treated models in previous studies, no such changes were seen in the present study.

Chinese abstract

新生儿和/或青春前的雄激素状况影响成年时的性成熟和生殖能力。然而, 长期脱氢表雄酮 (DHEA) 治疗对生育能力的影响尚未完全明确。因此, 本研究对长期给予DHEA治疗小鼠的生殖表型和参数进行评价。长期DHEA治疗 (从出生23天到12周龄) 小鼠出现较早的阴道扩张, 表明DHEA促进性成熟。此外, DHEA治疗小鼠发情期持续时间更长, 表明小鼠的发情周期受影响。DHEA治疗小鼠的血清促黄体生成素水平和下丘脑 Kiss1 mRNA表达水平均下降, 而子宫重量增加, 脱氢表雄酮和/或雌激素可能直接影响生殖表型。然而, 之前研究长期睾酮治疗模型中的长期DHEA治疗引起的体重和成分改变在本研究中并未观察到。

Keywords:

• DHEA
• estrous cycle
• hypothalamus
• Kiss1
• LH
• puberty

Declaration of interest

The authors have no conflicts of interest.