Hormonal modifications induced by chronic stress in rats

Chronic stress has a generally inhibitory effect on pituitary-gonadal function both in female and male rats inducing low circulating levels of LH, testosterone (T), prolactin (Prl) and, inconsistently, FSH. This inhibitory effect does not seem to be primarily due to pituitary dysfunction, since the adenohypophysis was capable of responding to exogenously administered LHRH and TRH, but is presumably the consequence of alterations of hypothalamic factor turnover. Testicular receptors to hCG were not modified by chronic stress which however induced a state of relative testicular hyper-responsiveness to hCG. Adrenal steroids seem to play a role both in the regulation of testicular hCG receptors and in chronic stress-induced Prl decrease, although further studies are needed to better characterize such a role.