Effect of Administered Testosterone Propionate on Cocks Functionally Castrated by Hypothalamic Lesions

Abstract

White Leghorn males were functionally castrated by lesions in the ventral hypothalamus slightly dorsal to the stalk. These chickens ate normally. When the lesions extended into the ventromedial area of the hypothalamus, the chickens were also hyperphagic. The cocks had atrophied combs and testes and did not respond to abdominal massage with libido or seminal fluid. All the chickens, normophagic or hyperphagic, accumulated excessive amounts of body fat, while normal males eating normally accumulated little body fat. With one exception, the livers were hypertrophied. The liver, blood plasma and bones had abnormally large amounts of fat. The hematocrits were abnormally low. Leg and breast muscles contained larger amounts of fat than did those of normal chickens. Plasma calcium levels of the lesioned chickens were normal. Injection of testosterone propionate seemingly had little effect upon food intake and the amount of body fat. Testosterone propionate administration increased the nitrogen content, glycerol and free fatty acids (FFA) of the abdominal and mesenteric fatty tissues. Testosterone propionate administration restored to normal the size of the comb, hematocrit, size and fat content of the liver, plasma lipids and lipid content of the bone. The fat content of the breast muscle decreased in response to the injection of testosterone propionate, but that of the leg muscle was little affected. While the injection of testosterone propionate restored the atrophied combs to normal, the testes remained atrophied. Normal cocks respond to testosterone propionate injections with increases of plasma FFA. Functional castration abolished this response, which is restored after prolonged daily testosterone propionate administration. (Endocrinology84: 611, 1969)