Effect of adrenergic receptor blockade on plasma testosterone response to exercise in conscious dogs

The aim of this study was 1) to establish the relationship between testosterone (T) levels and the intensity and duration of exercise in conscious dogs, and 2) to investigate the involvement of the sympathetic system in the response of plasma T to acute exercise. The experiments were performed on 14 male mongrel dogs (20-25 kg) trained to run on a motor driven treadmill. Testosterone (T), cortisol, epinephrine, norepinephrine, lactate and haematocrit were measured in arterial blood samples. A brief intensive exercise (leading to exhaustion within 5 or 20 min) induced a marked increase in plasma T, while during more prolonged (60 min) exercise plasma T showed an initial increase followed by a secondary decrease. Blockade of the beta adrenergic receptors with propranolol (Inderal 0.5 mg/kg i.v.) did not modify the changes of plasma T during exercise, but blockade of alpha adrenergic receptors with phentolamine (Regitine 0.5 mg/kg) lowered the exercise induced rise in plasma T.