Action of testosterone propionate on the gonadotrophic function of the pituitary gland in the cyclic female rat.

Four-day cyclic female rats were injected with 5 mg testosterone propionate (TP) at dioestrus II at 10.00. A blockade of ovulation was observed on the morning of oestrus in most of these animals. No LH surge occurred in the afternoon of pro-oestrus. By contrast the size of follicles exceeding 400 micrometer in diameter did not differ in the afternoon of pro-oestrus in TP-treated and control females. Moreover both the number of follicles and the blood FSH concentration appeared to be higher at 14.00 on pro-oestrus in TP-treated than in control females. The effects of TP in vivo are thus in agreement with the observations which showed that TP caused a blockade of LH release and the maintenance of FSH release in vitro.