| Abstract: | Experiments were designed to examine the influence of either one or both parents on the sexual maturation of male mice. A pregnant female and an adult vasectomized male were housed together and, at delivery, the litter was reduced to 6 pups, 3 of each sex. After weaning, mother, foster-father or both, stayed in cohabitation with their pups until sacrifice. The results showed that: (1) the permanent presence of one or both parents did not affect either testicular growth or the age at first fertile matings. (2) in maturing males (30-40 days), seminal vesicle growth was accelerated by the presence of the mother, inhibited by the presence of the foster-father. (3) in maturing males, the presence of one or both parents lowered plasma testosterone levels. On the opposite, in 90-day-old males, the same conditions increased testosterone levels. These results indicate that only the endocrine function of the testis is affected by the parental environment. The effects are age-dependent. |
