Prevention of Steroid-Induced Sterility in Neonatal Rats with Thymic Cell Suspension

Abstract

A subcutaneous injection of androgenic or estrogenic steroid hormones into 5-day-old rats results in abnormal gonadal development and sterility in the adult animal. Males injected with a suspension of thymic cells and then with estradiol benzoate develop normally and are fertile. Similar protection was obtained in prepubertal female rats injected with testosterone propionate as indicated by the presence of luteinized ovaries. This effect of thymocytes was fairly specific. Cell suspension prepared from spleen, liver or salivary gland did not protect female neonatal rats against the deleterious effect of testosterone propionate.