[The effect of prenatal stress on the development of hypophyseal gonadotropic function in male rats]

Significant changes of the aromatase and 5 alpha-reductase hypothalamic activity were found in juvenile prenatally stressed male Wistar rats. The blood plasma testosterone level increased following niftolide (NF) or 1, 4, 6-androstatine-3, 17-dione (ATD) administration. Prenatal stress seems to exert a modifying effect upon the regulating mechanisms of the pituitary gonadotropin function, lowering the functional reserves of the hypothalamo-hypophyseal-testicular axis in pre- and postpubertal male rats.