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

Abstract

The effect of age and of socio-sexual deprivation on the in vitro biosynthesis of corticosteroids and androgens from progesterone-7α-³H was studied in the adrenal of female rat. Three groups of subjects at three different ages were treated following the same experimental design already described for the males. The results have shown a decrease of the biosynthesis from progesterone in the adrenal of female rat with age and an increase with deprivation. Furthermore in deprived animals the effect of age is very significant. Comparing these data with those obtained in males it is clear that the effect of age is opposite in the two sexes; furthermore the effect of deprivation in females is much more relevant than in males. The reactivity to the social environment is highest for females at 2 months and for males at 12 months, namely in the male the modifications are evident after a long-term deprivation.