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Effect of gonadal activity on the cranial dimorphism of the rat
S L Dahinten1, H M Pucciarelli, F R Moreno
1Laboratorio de Investigaciones Morfológicas, Facultad de Ciencias Médicas, Universidad Nacional de La Plata, Argentina.
Abstract:
Weanling rats of both sexes were submitted to either castration, or castration together with periodic injections of testicular extract to males or of ovarian extract to females. Control and experimental animals were sampled at 63 days of age. Cranial differentiation between sexes was estimated by Mahalanobis D2 distances. The controls showed a significant sexual cranial difference. Orchidectomy decreased cranial differences and this effect was compensated by injections of testicular extract. On the other hand, oophorectomy increased cranial differences, which were diminished by injections of ovarian extract. Sexual cranial dimorphism in the normal rat seems to be the result of a counteracting effect between testicular and ovarian hormonal secretions.