Influenza della deprivazione socio-sessuale e dell'età sulla steroidogenesi del surrene di ratto maschio

Abstract

The effect of age and of socio-sexual deprivation on the in vitro biosynthesis of corticosteroids and androgens in the adrenal gland of male rat was studied using progesterone-7α-³H as precursor. The metabolites considered were 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, androstenedione, testosterone, deoxycorticosterone and corticosterone. Three groups of rats reared in different environmental conditions (total isolation, tactile isolation and heterosexuality) were used: each group was divided in different groups of age. The results have evidentiated an increase of some metabolites with age and a decrease with aging. Socio-sexual deprivation has a different effect in the various groups of age: it produces an increase of biosynthesis in young animals and a decrease in old animals. It can be concluded that in male rat both the weight of adrenal gland and steroidogenesis are modified with age and with socio-sexual deprivation and that the effects of age are reinforced by the condition of deprivation.