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Abstract
The present study evaluated the effect of hypothyroidism on the pituitary-testicular axis in rats rendered hypothyroid on the beginning of puberty. Rats were treated with propylthiouracil for 8 weeks and killed for determination of hormonal status and body parameters. For determination of pulsatile LH secretion other animals were orchiectomized two weeks before sampling. Analysis of the results led us to conclude that although the absolute weight of sex organs tended to decrease in hypothyroid animals, the relative weights were equal or higher than control, suggesting that the development of these organs were not affected by hypothyroidism; the androgenic activity of hypothyroid rat testes were preserved; basal plasma levels of pituitary hormones were similar in control and hypothyroid groups; the pulsatile LH secretion showed a decrease in the number of pulses, nadir mean and total LH secretion in hypothyroid animals.
Our results demonstrate that although hypothalamic-pituitary axis of hypothyroid pubertal rats displays an abnormal pulsation LH release, no evidences of abnormalities in the reproductive system functions were found.