Hormonal Differentiation of the Developing Central Nervous System with Respect to Patterns of Endocrine Function [and Discussion]

Three types of sexual cycles are found in mammals. First, the life-cycle—puberty, adulthood, senility; secondly, the breeding season; and thirdly, the oestrous or menstrual cycles. The first two types of cycle are to be found in both male and female mammals, while the third type is found in females...

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Published in:Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciences Biological sciences, 1970-08, Vol.259 (828), p.165-178
Main Authors: Harris, G. W., Munck, A., Goy, R. W., Peters, H., Jacobsohn, D.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Androgens
Animals
Castration
Cell Differentiation
Central Nervous System - growth & development
Estrus
Feedback
Female
Female animals
Gonadal Steroid Hormones - metabolism
Gonadal Steroid Hormones - physiology
Growth - drug effects
Hypothalamus - physiology
Luteinizing Hormone - metabolism
Male
Male animals
Mice
Ovaries
Ovary - growth & development
Pituitary Gland - metabolism
Pregnancy
Propionates
Puberty, Precocious - drug therapy
Rats
Secretion
Sex Determination Analysis
Sex hormones
Sexual Behavior - drug effects
Testes
Testis - growth & development
Testosterone
Testosterone - pharmacology
Urogenital System - growth & development
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Summary:Three types of sexual cycles are found in mammals. First, the life-cycle—puberty, adulthood, senility; secondly, the breeding season; and thirdly, the oestrous or menstrual cycles. The first two types of cycle are to be found in both male and female mammals, while the third type is found in females alone. Since the early embryo is sexually undifferentiated, it is of interest to see what factors are responsible for bringing about the development of the short and rhythmic oestrous and menstrual cycles in the female mammal, but the steady-state, arhythmic pattern of activity in the male mammal. Relatively recent work has shown that: (a) the oestrous and menstrual rhythm is essentially dependent on some neural mechanism in the brain, probably situated in the hypothalamic-preoptic region, and (b) that the factors responsible for the development of this neural mechanism in the brain of the female, but not in the male, are basically similar to the factors that bring about the development of the Müllerian duct system in the genetic female and the Wolffian duct system in the genetic male.
ISSN:0080-4622
0962-8436
2054-0280
DOI:10.1098/rstb.1970.0056