Behavioural and morphological dose-responses to testosterone and to 5α-dihydrotestosterone in the castrated male Japanese quail

Morphological and behavioural effects of testosterone (T) and of 5 α-dihydrotestosterone (5α-DHT) injected daily for a 3-week period at dosages of 0.5, 1, 5 and 10 mg for T and 1 and 5 mg for α-DHT were studied in the adult male castrated Japanese quail. Injections of 0.5 or 1.0 mg T produced only slight development of the cloacal gland while the other four treatments stimulated growth which reached maximal or submaximal values. Testosterone injections stimulated sexual activities; some such effects were also observed after treatment with 5α-DHT. Although both steroids elicited crowing, there were qualitative differences between quails given 5α-DHT and those given T and intacts. These differences were not due to the development of the sternotracheal (syringeal) muscles, the weights of which were increased and reached similar values in the 5α-DHT and T (5 and 10 mg) treated males. These results are discussed in the context of our present knowledge of the mechanisms of regulation of reproduction processes by testosterone and its metabolites in birds.