Effect of testosterone on atherosclerosis in rabbits

AIM: To investigate the action of testosterone on atherosclerosis in a rabbit model. METHODS: 37 male cholesterol-fed rabbits were divided into five groups: castration group: castrated rabbits without exogenous testosterone administration; testosterone Ⅰ group: castrated rabbits with exogenous testosterone 0.25 mg·kg -1·d -1; testosterone Ⅱ group: castrated rabbits with exogenous testosterone 2.5 mg·kg -1·d -1; testosterone Ⅲ group: castrated rabbits with exogenous testosterone 12.5 mg·kg -1·d -1. The sham operation group was also set. Three months later, the levels of testosterone, blood lipids (including TG, HDL-C, LDL-C), PAI activity, nitric oxide (NO) content, endothelin (ET), angiotensin Ⅱ (AngⅡ) in blood were detected. RESULTS: It showed that testosterone in castration group was the lowest. There was no significant difference of TG or LDL-C between castration group and the other four groups. HDL-C in castration group was lower than that in other four groups. NO content of castration group was lower than that in others, but PAI activity, ET and AngⅡ concentration were higher than that in other groups. CONCLUSION: Testosterone is a protective factor against atherosclerosis in male rabbits.