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Fecal estradiol-17β and testosterone in prepubertal domestic cats
1Laboratory of Reproductive Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, National University of La Plata, Argentina.
Insights
Newborn kittens exhibit a significant surge in sexual steroids during early postnatal weeks. This early hormonal activity in male and female cats precedes puberty and is crucial for development.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Science
- Reproductive Biology
- Endocrinology
Background:
- Understanding the early hormonal development in domestic cats is essential for reproductive health and management.
- Prepubertal sexual steroid profiles are not well-characterized in feline species.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe the time course of prepubertal sexual steroids in domestic cats.
- To identify the onset and pattern of sexual steroid surges in kittens.
Main Methods:
- Fecal testosterone (T) and estradiol 17-β (E2) concentrations were analyzed in 14 kittens from birth to puberty.
- Repeated measures ANOVA was used to compare hormonal changes across two distinct postnatal time windows (TWs) for each gender.
Main Results:
- A significant surge in fecal testosterone and estradiol 17-β was observed during the first 4-5 postnatal weeks in male and female cats, respectively.
- Hormonal concentrations in the early weeks (TW-1) were comparable to or higher than those in mature cats, with significant decreases observed later (TW-2).
- Puberty onset was recorded around 14.3 weeks in males and 13.3 weeks in females.
Conclusions:
- Domestic cats experience a pronounced sexual steroid surge in early postnatal life, preceding puberty.
- This early hormonal surge plays a critical role in the developmental trajectory towards sexual maturity in felines.
Abstract:
The aim of this article was to describe the time course of prepubertal sexual steroids in domestic cats. Fourteen newborn kittens were followed up until puberty (physical, behavioral, and hormonal changes). Fecal testosterone [T; males] and E estradiol 17-β [E2; females] concentrations were analyzed by repeated measures ANOVA and two consecutive time windows (TWs) were used to compare changes in both male (postnatal weeks 1-4 vs. 5-14) and females (postnatal weeks 1-5 vs. 6-13). Puberty was achieved 14.3 ± 0.3 and 13.3 ± 0.4 weeks after birth in male and female cats, respectively. In both genders, during TW-1 fecal steroids concentrations were similar (males) or even higher (females) to that previously described for mature cats. Fecal T (P < 0.01) and E2 (P < 0.01) varied throughout the weeks. Differences were found when hormonal concentrations of TW-1 were compared with those of TW-2 both for male (61.4 ± 7.9 vs. 16.9 ± 2.2 ng/g; P < 0.01) and female (78.2 ± 12.5 vs. 11.2 ± 4.0 ng/g; P < 0.01) cats. It is concluded that in domestic cats there is a sexual steroid surge during the first 4 and 5 postnatal weeks in male and female animals, respectively.
