S. Martinezsanchis et al., EFFECTS OF CHRONIC TREATMENT WITH TESTOSTERONE PROPIONATE ON AGGRESSION AND HORMONAL LEVELS IN INTACT MALE-MICE, Psychoneuroendocrinology, 23(3), 1998, pp. 275-293
Effects of testosterone propionate, an anabolic-androgenic steroid (AA
S), on aggression in gonadally intact male mice were examined. Animals
were given weekly injections of 3.75, 7.5, 15, and 30 mg/kg of drug o
r sesame oil for 10 weeks. During the last 3 weeks, behavioral tests w
ere conducted and at the end of the experiment, body, liver and testes
weight and hormonal data were collected. The treatment had minimal be
havioral and endocrine effects. It resulted in shorter latencies of 't
hreat' only in the last agonistic encounter, increases in testosterone
levels and decreases in testes weight in a non-linear dose-dependant
way. The action of the treatment was different on threat and attack, t
he latter being unaffected. The behavioral effects in the total sample
were only found in aggressive animals selected on the basis of their
latency of attack in the first encounter. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Lt
d. All rights reserved.