INHIBITION OF SEXUAL DEVELOPMENT IN MALE AND FEMALE RATS TREATED WITH VARIOUS STEROIDS AT THE AGE OF FIVE DAYS

Abstract
The effect of various steroids injected into 5 day old male and female rats was evaluated at the age of 45 days. In the males the degree in which testes and accessory sex tissues were atrophied, and in the females the degree of inhibition of luteinization were the indices. Various synthetic estrogens were potent inhibitors of sexual development in both sexes while androgens were less active. The activity of several estrogens in this test does not correlate with estrogenic potency as measured in the uterotrophic test. Testosterone propionate produced moderate atrophy of testes and accessory sex tissue but spermatogenesis was not impaired.