Effects of melatonin, testosterone and the two hormones administered in parallel on epididymis of the rat estrogenized with stilbestrol in the first day of life
Effect of melatonin, testosterone and of both
hormones given in parallel on rat epididymis was tested
in rats given a single dose of 1 mg stilbestrol on the first
day of the life. The hormones were given daily for 39
days, beginning from the 20th or 28th day of life. The
single dose of estrogen treatment resulted in epididymis
atrophy, accompanied by changes in glandular
epithelium and in its stroma, when the rats reached
mature age (59 or 67 days of life). In such rats, LH
gonadotropin level was elevated and testosterone level
was decreased. Administration of melatonin failed to
affect the changes induced by estrogen treatment.
Administration of testosterone alone or of testosterone in
parallel with melatonin caused the epididymis status to
resemble more closely that seen in control animals.
Efferent ductules of the testis (head of epididymis) were
also demonstrated to be more sensitive to the performed
experimental procedures than the duct of the epididymis
(body and tail of the epididymis)